Sixty Seconds
by Heraclene Twynsta
Summary: It's between your four-year boyfriend and a man you just met. And you're only given sixty seconds to decide.
1. Chapter 1

**Sixty Seconds**

A **Gakuen Alice Fan fiction** Partnered by **Universal Pictures and Spyglass Entertainment's Leap Year**

**Disclaimer:** I totally disclaim Gakuen Alice. There is nothing here that I own, neither the plot. But I do own the idea of merging Gakuen Alice's main protagonists Mikan Sakura and Natsume Hyuuga and Leap Year's story line. **I repeat – I do not own Gakuen Alice and Leap Year.**

**Author's Note: **If the site sees that I have broken a policy upon posting this story, then I don't have anything to object to. However, I just wanted to share this wonderful story to everyone with Mikan and Natsume being the protagonists. So if ever this story is deleted or blocked by the site, then it means that you guys cannot read this anymore. But if not, I hope you'll enjoy :).

"_Love isn't something you find. Love is something that finds you." – Loretta Young_

It's a sunny, crisp winter day – the day after the last day of fall, where dried leaves are still scattered on the cemented grounds of this upscale Tokyo neighborhood – when Mikan Sakura is walking with her high heeled gray shoes. She sees a sign of "OPEN HOUSE TODAY: 11-2" out in front of one of the townhouses, where she is destined to go for today.

Mikan, poised and driven, stands inside the vacant apartment. She is a lady in thirties, with wavy locks of hazel hair that ends on her waist, a pair of amber sparkling eyes, petite and fair. She looked around. It is dark. The carpets are worn, dusty curtains hang in the windows and everything else similar. It was a disaster. Mikan smiled to it – means that her work will be challenging today. She blew air with a pretty cute smile and clapped her hands two times.

"Okay guys, let's get started!"

A team of movers came out and she directed them as they carry inside a beautiful antique furniture, new rugs, curtains and art. Mikan showed them exactly where to put the furniture. She arranged beautifully bound books on the shelves and then put fresh flowers in vases. She also hung classy black and white photographs on the well-painted walls. She even put a Mozart piano CD on the stereo.

The job was done in just exactly two hours – no more, no less.

Not for long, the Realtor walks inside and looked so pleased and amazed with the transformation of the room. It was completely changed – a good change. It looked bright, airy and beautiful. Mikan politely and gratefully handed the realtor a package of sliced and bakes cookies. Oh thank goodness Anna is her friend.

"Put these in the oven a half hour before the open house and you'll have multiple offers by lunch." She said with confidence and wore that common smile of hers. Her Blackberry suddenly buzzed and she excused herself, bidding a short goodbye after the Realtor had thanked her.

Speeding along in a cab, Mikan checks her scheduled list. She cannot live in a day if everything isn't planned. She is an upright woman and a _systemed_ one. She never lets out herself outside her house without planning what she'll do for the day. She hates disarrays.

"A Downtown Loft." Mikan speaks.

Her next appointment was in a downtown loft where she transformed the said place from a cold industrial space to a cool modern apartment. She repeated the cycle with the movers and she handled everything else personally. After having done to the arrangements, she put a Miles Davis CD on and then gave the Realtor, a different one, the same frozen cookies.

After that, Mikan came out with a wide smile and a happy thought of "GOOD WORK" inside her head. She pulls another cab and rode towards a small studio apartment. When she got there, the place looked tiny and cramped. But after she worked her magic, it looked charming and spacious. She then put a hipster Francoise Hardy CD on and hands yet another Realtor the cookies.

"Thanks. You know I sold that Back Bay two-bedroom on the first day? To the first couple who walked in! Boy, I got lucky on that one." The blonde Realtor with pink eyes said.

Mikan smiled at him. "Luck did not sell that place. A new sofa and a vase of dahlias did. I don't believe in luck. You make your own luck."

The Realtor chuckled and patted her shoulder. "All I know is you're worth every penny." Then he muttered a small thank you and handed her a bottle of wine which Mikan accepted.

While in the middle of a good talk to the blonde Realtor, Mikan's BlackBerry suddenly buzzed again. She politely excused herself and then bid goodbye afterwards, as she saw her next appointment near approaching.

"Gotta go." Mikan mumbled, placing her phone back to her purse. "Co-op Board, 3 pm."

The Realtor chuckled. "You're staging an apartment at NAGIHIKO's?"

"No, I may be buying one." She said and went gone as the Realtor looked very impressed.

And the day ended very well.

This was her daily routine. Mikan Sakura had the talent of reviving a dead space of room into the one that you never think of it will be. She was a house decorator – a professional one. She is very hands-on in her work. The reason why maybe her clients were ended up very impressed on her.

The next morning, Mikan found herself standing in front of a beautiful Prewar Apartment Building. She looked up to meet the warm rays of the sun, which her smooth porcelain face absorbed gently. She closed her eyes and sniffed the fresh morning breeze and plastered a wide innocent smile on her lips.

She had been a career-woman for almost five years and with that she's now quite popular into the decorating world. Many people know her because of her profession and either way because she is Eyouhan Ayuzawa'a four-year girl friend. The latter is a renowned cardiologist, a medical practitioner who specializes in the central pumping organ of the body which is the heart.

Mikan and Eyouhan were contented in their lives as it is. They seemed happy with their status in life – both are well-off and wealthy, they both have jobs that could keep them alive and kicking – but Mikan was actually not.

The brunette was an impatient woman in her thirties. She might not admit it but she was being problematic that her boyfriend and herself had been together for quite a time now but he's still not proposing to her.

Mikan shook her head lightly, brushing off the thoughts.

_I'm sure Eyouhan will...uh, someday._

"Mikan!" A manly voice approached but unconsciously ignored. "Hey, sweetie?"

Mikan was quite startled with the sudden approach but then snapped in her thoughts and met her boyfriend, Eyouhan – also in thirties, looking very enthusiastic and intelligent as always with his black coat, blue shirt and white with black little polka dots in his tie- out front. He has dark brown hair with golden brown with some reflection of yellow pair of eyes. Everyone couldn't deny he's such an Adonis.

They shared a quick kiss in the lips and Eyouhan invited her sweet girlfriend inside.

"Hey, you didn't wear your lab coat?" Mikan asked softly. "Co-op boards love a doctor."

Eyouhan chuckles shortly and entwines his fingers in Mikan's hands. "This is NAGIHIKO's, they think doctors are blue collar."

The brunette opened her mouth slightly and then punched his boyfriend's shoulder lightly and then she laughed. Eyouhan joined her and afterwards took out his iPhone and stopped walking.

"Wait. I want a picture of you under the awning." He whispered and was about to take a picture but kill joy Mikan puts down his hand and replied, "Hun, I don't want to be late..." The dark brown haired cardiologist frowned a bit but still convinced her to take at least one. Mikan sighed and giggled.

"Say, 'three bedrooms overlooking the Common!'" Mikan smiled and he snaps the photo. Afterwards, he looked at it and smiled.

"How do I look? Chic yet respectable?" Mikan confidently said, arranging her orange and brown cocktail dress. Both of them should look their best for today because they'll be seeing the Co-op board, which were the key for them to get the NAGIHIKO's, the finest apartment in Japan. You should expect that a skilled house decorator and professional doctor must live at the finest.

"Beautiful! Look at this image quality! I just downloaded the new HD Camera app – you're even more adorable in high def!" Eyouhan hugged Mikan and continued to walk with her, hand in hand. "Who wouldn't want this woman living in their building?!"

She can't help but be charmed by his enthusiasm. His boyfriend never failed to praise her looks and that's why she tries to look more than presentable every day, not just for her clients but especially for him.

The couple strides to the entrance where a uniformed doorman in gray hair holds the door open. Eyouhan held his hand out for her to enter first. He was such a gentleman.

A beautifully-furnished apartment with sky-high ceilings and gleaming parquet floors welcomed them. Mikan and Eyouhan sat across from two older, well-groomed women – one with pitch black wavy hair and a blonde one – and silver haired man in a bow tie.

So this is the Co-op board. And they are finishing up.

"Well. Thank you both again for coming in. We have to review some things internally, of course..." The woman with pitch black wavy hair spoke, reaching out her fan. "Himemiya, is what they call me." She introduced and smiled thriftily.

"But that was an outstanding interview. You do seem like just the type of people who should be calling the NAGIHIKO's home. And not just because half of us are old enough to need a good cardiologist in the building, Dr. Silver." The man with the silver hair and emerald eyes muttered. "The name's Goshima Hijiri."

All of them laughed, Mikan looked at Eyouhan proudly.

"Mmm." The blonde old woman coughed, less enthused and looked at her notes. "I don't believe there's anything we've missed, unless there's something you'd like to add?"

The couple exchanged looks. Then Mikan leaned forward, very direct.

"All right, look. There's really no other way to say this other than being completely blunt. We don't settle." She said. "Eyouhan and I, we just aren't those types of people. And what we want you to know is, if you do choose to let us move in here, we will continue not to settle. We will be the best tenants, the most devoted to the building...more than anyone else, because we don't know any other way to be."

Eyouhan didn't do anything but nod. What her lovely girlfriend said were all true.

And so, Mikan continued. "As you know I've staged apartments all over the area for sellers, even a few next door at The Shigokawa."

You can tell by the look on the board members' faces that they feel less-than enthusiastic about The Shigokawa. And Mikan was actually expecting that reaction.

"I've seen everything, and if I may state the obvious, there is no building in Tokyo finer than NAGIHIKO's. So how could we possibly settle – literally – anyplace else?"

Himemiya and Hijiri seemed to agree as they exchange a look and nodded. Mikan looked at the blonde haired, who seemed to be the least swayed by her speech.

"I just love your vitrine." Mikan speak. "Beidermeier. Louis ... XIV?"

"Fifteenth." The blonde woman corrected.

Mikan chuckled. "Of course! I should know that. Well it's exquisite."

The blonde woman smiled and pleased to have her "exquisite" taste recognized, "Serina Yamada."

They ended the day by shaking hands with Mikan and Eyouhan had that big smile in their faces. Himemiya was also happy for them, since the very first time she saw Mikan Sakura, she already know she will have this taken care of. Like she saw a rainbow in her eyes, trustable and reliable. While Hijiri Goshima had a few doubts at first, but ended up like Himemiya. And their Serina Yamada also fell into the lady's charms. No regrets.

The couple bid sweet good byes and see you soons to the Co-op board and left the building with high spirits. They are looking forward to a celebration so they decided to go to a restaurant for dinner. While riding at Eyouhan's car, they converse.

"Well **that** couldn't have gone any better! And you! You were amazing! That thing with the cabinet?" He said.

Mikan giggled. "I knew it was Louis XV, but I sensed she was one of those 'smartest person in the room' types."

With that, he gave her a big kiss.

"We might live at NAGIHIKO's!"

"I know...It'd be a good present, wouldn't it? For maybe the fourth anniversay of our first date? Our...date-a-versary?"

Eyouhan, while driving, tickled her.

"You are the worst hint-dropper ever! Do you really think I'd forget? Four years is big." The brunette pinched his cheeks and giggled cheerfully. "I made a reservation at Yumaide Restaurant. And I may have even gotten you a special present..."

Her ears perked it up, as she felt very curious about it. Would it be the thing she's waiting for? "Really? What is it? Tell me."

He laughed and waved a finger at her. "No no no, you know I like surprises. You have to wait. Tonight, eight o'clock."

Mikan smiled. "Eight o'clock." She suddenly shuddered as she felt the icy wind penetrated on her fair skin. She was chilled in the February air. This did not escape Eyouhan's eyes, and she looked up at his girlfriend with worried eyes.

"Always freezing, what is with you?" He said with care, and shut the opened windows of his car. He also wore off his superficial clothing and handed it over to Mikan. "Here, take my sweatshirt." He then wrapped the clothing around her, and gives her a kiss.

"What would I do without you?" she said, touched of his acts.

He smiled. "Buy more layers. See you at eight."

Mikan got out of his car with his sweatshirt and stood beside it. Eyouhan waved his hand and silently bid good bye to him. "I'll be there!" And she gave him a flying kiss.

She watched him until he was out of sight. He had driven her to her recent apartment. Mikan felt the cold breeze penetrate Eyouhan's sweatshirt and thus she wrapped it tightly around her. She can't stop smiling earlier as Eyouhan drives off down the street.

ヽ(^。^)ノヽ(^。^)ノヽ(^。^)ノヽ(^。^)ノヽ(^。^)ノヽ(^。^)ノヽ(^。^)ノヽ(^。^)ノ

"You no want polish?" A Korean woman in the Chic's Nail Salon asked her.

"No polish. My kids ruin it in ten minutes." Anna Umenomiya, a pink headed woman in Mikan's age said. She then turns to Mikan, which is just beside her and spoke, "Please do not forget your Dad's birthday tomorrow. He said he wants to eat at that bar."

She and Mikan both make the same disgusted face. They were both inside a Korean Nail Salon in Tokyo and sitting in huge spa chairs together with Nonoko Ogasawara, a mutual and close friend and of course Hotaru Imai, Mikan's best friend. They're actually getting they're weekly manicure and pedicure.

The brunette inspects her hand. The left one, specifically. Then she leans in to the woman doing her nails. "I'm sorry, but can you just re-file this one more time? It's uneven."

Hotaru rolled her eyes while Anna and Nonoko chuckled. Indeed, she friend was a perfectionist.

"All right, that's getting obsessive even for you." The blue-haired said.

Mikan just shrugged then a smile crept onto her face. "It's just that I need that hand to be perfect..." then she had an even bigger smile. "...For my engagement ring."

"Your what?" Anna and Nonoko both said in unison. Hotaru just looked at her.

"I think it's happening tonight." Mikan confidently said.

"No way!" The twin-like friends cheered as they both clapped their hands, Nonoko almost forgetting that she's having her fingernails polished.

Mikan just nodded.

"How could you be so sure?" Hotaru, snapping out of her silence, suddenly asked. "Did he tell you?"

The brunette used her free hand to pull a business card out of her bag. Then she handed her to Hotaru. The latter read the content of the card and the other two heads leaned over to see.

"Beacon Hill Estate Jewelry? Where'd you find that?" Anna asked.

"In his sweatshirt pocket."

"No way!" The twin-like said in unison once again.

Mikan, for the second time, nodded.

"And he's taking me to Yumaide tonight for our anniversary. And he said '**four years is big**'. He said that."

Anna awed. "I wish Yuu had bought my ring at Beacon Hill. Eyouhan had a good taste."

With that, Nonoko agreed. "I wish Kistu was the same."

"It probably helped that I tore out the magazine ad and left it on his desk a month ago. The one with the bracelet?" said Mikan.

"Love that bracelet. Good move." Anna complimented while expressionless Hotaru handed the card back to Mikan and said, "You must be so relieved."

Mikan looked at Hotaru, not knowing if it was a nice one or not. Her stoic best friend was apprised of her impatience on Eyouhan's proposal. So if it will already happen not a moment until now, then she must be relieved, just like Hotaru told her.

"Thank you?" she said instead.

Hotaru glared. "You know what I mean."

Mikan sighed. "Fine. Obviously there was a tiny part of me that was getting concerned. I mean, we'd talked about it, but it was, 'well, we'll get to it eventually' and then it was just off the table for a while and I wasn't gonna be the one to put it back on." She then turned to the woman who works on her nail. "Could you use extra lotion on my cuticles? Thanks." Then back to Hotaru. "I mean, I love my life with Eyouhan, but what? – now we're buying real estate together and we're not engaged? Hellew...can you say ...'skipped a step'?"

The raven haired with amethyst eyes woman rolled at her. "Well, none of that matters now."

Mikan replied at her immediately a big nope. Anna and Nonoko suddenly were very excited for her.

"Oh, Mikan! You should practice your facial expression for later." Nonoko said. "You know, the surprised and overwhelmed one?" She received a glare from Hotaru. Anna changed the topic instead.

"I can't believe you're getting engaged!" Anna turned to the Korean woman. "She's getting engaged!"

Mikan chuckled. "I'm getting engaged."

The Korean woman nodded. It's not clear if she understood, but whatever.

╮(╯_╰)╭╮(╯_╰)╭╮(╯_╰)╭╮(╯_╰)╭╮(╯_╰)╭╮(╯_╰)╭╮(╯_╰)╭╮(╯_╰)╭╮(╯_╰)╭╮(╯_╰)╭╮

The place is beautifully decorated. Right out of the magazine. Nothing out of place. Just getting engaged couples deserved to get their proposal into such a place. The candle lights, the chandeliers, the good-looking waiters, the excellent food, the atmosphere. Everything.

Mikan and Eyouhan had just entered Yamaide Restaurant with the guy's tie undone. He's carrying a to-go box. They were almost two hour and a half there and Mikan really not much talked after he handed her a small jewelry box. Speechless, ei?

"Was your duck okay? You didn't really eat much of it." He said while taking off his coat. "You could have sent it back. My steak was amazing!"

She just nodded. She cannot speak. She felt like crying.

Mikan looked at the brand new bracelet on her wrist. And then at the bracelet-sized jewelry box, the box that he gave her a moment ago, from Beacon Hill Estate Jewelry.

"What time is it, ten thirty? Ugh, I gotta be at the airport at seven." Eyouhan said, oblivious to his girlfriend's well-concealed emotions, after looking at his wristwatch. "I have to call and confirm my car, finish some charts, pack, get the Slingbox set up – I gotta say I love the fact that I'll be all the way in Ireland and I won't miss a single Celtics game. That was the best present ever, sweetie..."

Mikan nodded silently and gave him a small disappointed smile. How could she have been so stupid?! He took a bite on his garlic bread. "Make sure to tell your Dad Happy Birthday from me. Can't wait to hear what ship's finally coming in for him this time." Then he reached for his wine glass and sipped up. "This conference should be interesting. The Swiss are unveiling this new MRI. Who knows, maybe we can convince the hospital to pony up and buy one..."

Her mind's not present at the moment. She's not really listening to him. She's reminiscing her and Eyouhan's happy little memories. They who are enjoying ski trips, birthday dinners, a Paris vacation, Valentine's day... FOUR YEARS OF HER LIFE. She looked down at the bracelet again, depressed.

"You can always come with me, you know." He took a pause to finish his dish. "Who doesn't want to visit Ireland in the dead of winter?" It was a bad Irish accent, actually. "I hope you like your potatoes frozen!" Oblivious Eyouhan laughs and wipes his mouth with a napkin and finally, he notices her very, extremely and weirdly silent girlfriend. "Mikan? You okay? You look upset."

_Of course I am upset! After assuming that you'll propos to me tonight, the moment I've been waiting for from you but did not happened. Ugh! I've been expecting a ring...not a bracelet! How could you be so literal! Not just because of that stupid magazine that I torn that it means I really wanted that bracelet. God!_

Mikan just looked at him with those at the back of her mind. She doesn't know what to say.

"You're nervous about the Co-op aren't you?"

She just nodded, covering. She was startled when she felt Eyouhan's hand onto hers. She looked up to him and smiled.

"I know. I hate to be going away when all this is going down but there's really not much to do after the interview. I'm sure they'll let us know by weekend."

Mikan nodded once more.

"Come on. We're gonna get it. When do I not get what you want?" He gave her a little squeeze and headed back into his seat.

Mikan glanced down back at the bracelet again...

* * *

Guys..do yuu like it?! Tell me! Please review!


	2. Chapter 2

**Sixty Seconds**

A **Gakuen Alice Fan fiction** Partnered by **Universal Pictures and Spyglass Entertainment's Leap Year**

**Disclaimer:** I totally disclaim Gakuen Alice. There is nothing here that I own, neither the plot. But I do own the idea of mergingu Gakuen Alice's main protagonists Mikan Sakura and Natsume Hyuuga and Leap Year's story line. **I repeat – I do not own Gakuen Alice and Leap Year.**

**Author's Note: **If the site sees that I have broken a policy upon posting this story, then I don't have anything to object to. However, I just wanted to share this wonderful story to everyone with Mikan and Natsume being the protagonists. So if ever this story is deleted or blocked by the site, then it means that you guys cannot read this anymore. But if not, I hope you'll enjoy :).

↖(^▽^)↗↖(^▽^)↗↖(^▽^)↗↖(^▽^)↗↖(^▽^)↗↖(^▽^)↗↖(^▽^)↗

Mikan sat with Hotaru in one of the old school booths,u where names have been carved into the wood over the past decades. They were in a classic Japanese restobar, where most of the customers where oldies and the like.

Across them is Izumi, Mikan's father and almost a father to Hotaru. He is already in his 50's but still looking young and kicking. His golden yellow hair is turning to blonde white and the sides of his navy blue eyes were gaining some wrinkles. It's his birthday today and he's in a sportjacket with no tie.

A waitress then picked up his empty drink and replaces it with a refill.

"Thank you, m'lady. Look at those eyes. Big brown and sparkling." He sweetly said to the purple haired waitress reminding someone very special, and she actually blushed with the old but young looking man's statement.

Izumi had been a usual customer of almost all bars in Tokyo. It had been his habit to drink at least a bottle or two of alcohol since his beloved wife Yuka had passed away. Mikan considered this, because she knew how much her father loved her mother – this may be the only way for him to ease the pain – but doubting for reconsidering him.

Mikan then rolled her eyes as the waitress smiled politely and walked away with the empty glass.

"Seriously, Dad? She could be Anna's daughter."

Oh sure if Anna would hear this, she'll undoubtedly oppose to her. Anna wasn't that old and in fact, she was just the very first from them four friends that married. She was pregnant with Yuuna – a pretty girl with yellow hair and pink highlights and bright pink eyes - when she married the spectacled Tobita and their daughter was almost fourteen years old now.

"Oh lighten up, Sunkist. Can your dear old Dad help it if he remembers your dear mother sometimes?"

Mikan pulled up her straw. "I don't know, but does he have to do it every place we go?"

"How did I raise such a romantic? The world is ripe and fragrant with possibility, Sunkist. Breath it in."

He toasts to it, Mikan does not. She instead changed the subject.

"Do you want to open your present?" Mikan reached out a blue box with silver ribbons and excitedly – maybe more excited than Izumi – handed it to Izumi.

The old guy's eyes twinkled in surprise as he pulled it childishly from his daughter. "Absolutely!" He made a big Dad show of shaking it – and then unwraps it impatiently – revealing a brand new Blackberry.

Not really pleased with the present, "Well look at that! It's a … phone."

"No, no - it's a Blackberry. You can put all your appointments and contacts in there – you can even send email!" Mikan cheered.

He looked at it. And he knew very well that he's never going to use it. Why? Because he's not just the type of person who well, he just don't need one. And Hotaru knew this was a bad idea. But her stubborn best friend was just so stubborn.

"Or you can just use the phone part." The raven head said.

Mikan immediately reacted. "No. Use the whole thing! It's perfect! You know how you're always writing stuff down on scraps of paper or matchbooks and then they're all stuffed in your pockets or worst you just lose them…now you can just type everything in there!"

Izumi chuckled. "Well that's great, Mikan. As soon as I get a spare moment I'll crack open the instructions and figure out what all these buttons do!"

No he won't. He set the box down and quickly changes the subject.

"So how's that Eyouhan? How are things going in the medical trade? Hey, did he ever call that guy I met who was starting that boxing gym? It's a great investment, he should put some money in that." Izumi said.

Mikan nodded. "Yeah, I mentioned it."

She gritted her teeth and reached for her water.

"Whoa, what are you trying to do, blind me?!" Izumi bursted after noticing the sparkly new bracelet his daughter is wearing. "Lemme put my sunglasses on! Where'd that come from?"

"Eyouhan got it for me for our anniversary." The brunette weakly said, but trying to be cheerful like earlier. It's just that last night was so disappointing and that bracelet reminds her of how stupid she was to assume that her boy friend will propose to her.

"What, still no ring? What's with that guy? What's there to decide?"

"Not everyone proposes marriage to the person who brings their drink, all right? There are people in this world who actually take their time to think about these kinds of things." She said defensively, making Hotaru glance at her while sipping her from her cocktail.

Izumi shook his head. "You're gonna have to pull a Grandma Hikari."

The young Yukihira's face became confused. "A what?"

"Eyouhan's already in Ireland, right? Half the battle's over." The confusion from Mikan's face wore off. "I told you this story. Grandma Hikari Yukihira always used to joke that Otou-san took so long to propose that she almost dragged him to Ireland."

Hotaru croaked. "What's in there?"

Izumi leaned closer to the two girls. "In Leap Year there the woman can propose to the men! On the 29th – it's a tradition! I think if she'd had enough scratch for the plane tickets she would've done it too. But Otou-san finally stepped up on his own and here we are!" He chuckled and took a drink and then swallowed. "So, what do you say Sunkist? Should we send you to Ireland to get down on one knee?"

Mikan had her eyes widened. "No!" That's the stupidest thing she'd ever heard! A ridiculous one, if she might add. Girls will be the one who'll propose? Have they lost their pride? That sounded so desperate!

Even Hotaru found that totally idiotic. She would never propose to Ruka, not just because he was high over heels in love with her, but that was too impossible. She knew it will never work. Thank heavens Ruka is not like Eyouhan whose mind was lost. If that's her husband's case, then they should still be girlfriends and boyfriends up until now and would'nt had baby Haruka and baby Takaru. Yeah, his charming husband blessed her with fraternal twins.

"I can pay for your ticket. Some of your ticket. Actually if you wanna do it right now, you should probably pay for it and I'll pay you back."

Mikan nodded. "That's okay."

"I'm serious. I've got something coming down the pike in a couple of months that's really going to set me up nicely. I can't say much about it right now, but let's just say it's 99 percent a done deal already. It might involve vacation homes – not time shares, per se – but a very lucrative opportunity. You know what, I've said too much already. But I've got a good feeling about this."

Hotaru and Mikan have heard this before.

The brunette held her father's hand and sighed. "Dad. I'm not going to Ireland. I – appreciate the advice but I don't think that's for me." She smiled.

Hotaru tried to diffuse the building tension. "We should order some lunch."

Izumi agreed vehemently. "Good idea, Hotaru-chan." He's still calling her that even though she's in her thirties, married with veterinarian Ruka Nogi and had wonderful twins. "Order me a club sandwich, hey Hotaru-chan? I gotta hit the head." Then he got up and left for the men's room. Mikan looked at her best friend.

"I know. Sorry. It is a gorgeous bracelet. Don't be mad." Hotaru complimented it was once in a blue moon. Mikan did not forgot to appreciate but it was being overpowered.

"He seriously thinks I should go to Ireland and propose to my boy friend. He lives on a different planet." Mikan shook her head lightly.

Hotaru held out a comforting hand to her and the latter took it. They've been best friends for so many years and it actually was a kind of miracle Hotaru is acting like this. Because when they were just recent friends, she was as hard as ice that even her warm smile cannot break. But slowly and surely, she's melting it and now Hotaru's been going a bit different and soft than before.

Mikan groaned and then slumped her head onto the table, spent.

"And this table is sticky."

Mikan, in that same position as she had an hour ago, head on her pillow. She's been having a hard time falling asleep. There's a photo of her and Eyouhan smiling happily, just staring at her from her bedside table. She rolled over, shutting it out… And her eyes landed suddenly on her wrist – the bracelet. A symbol of her disappointment.

Exasperated, Mikan flipped onto her back and put the pillow over her head. Then after a beat, she finally threw the blankets aside and got out of bed.

She reached for her laptop and opened it. She did a Google search and quickly finds a bunch of articles on LEAP YEAR PROPOSALS IN IRELAND. She read one, looking at the photos of women proposing on one knee in Dublin.

She reads…

"Ladies privilege" … "Dates back to the fifth century" … "C'mon, this is real?"

She reads on. She then finds more photos: IRISH WOMEN, KISSING THEIR MEN – SHOWING OFF THEIR RINGS. Mikan looked tempted for a second…But quickly shakes her head at the absurdity and snaps the laptop shut. She gets up and walked away.

After a few beats, Mikan sat back down and opened up the laptop again. This time she found a video clip on YouTube.

In the video, there was a cute Irish woman who got down on one knee in front of an old church in Dublin. She emotionally proposed to her working class boy friend. He tearfully accepted and gave her a passionate kiss. The crowd around them cheered…

Mikan watched, getting a little emotional too. But quickly snapped out of it and said, "That's ridiculous." Hand on her chin.

She shut the laptop again and got up…

But immediately afterwards, she sat back down and opened the laptop again. This time she went right to the AER LINGUS site. She clicked on SEARCH FOR FLIGHTS…

"Okay. Tickets, passport…" she scrolls down her Blackberry. "…Hotel address…Is this crazy? Tell me this is a terrible idea and I won't go."

Hotaru, Anna and Nonoko are dropping Mikan off at the International Terminal. Mikan took her designer luggage out of the trunk.

"I thought you already left Eyouhan a message to tell him you're coming…" said Nonoko, clad in gray dress with white blazers.

Mikan shrugged and moved on. "It's just last night I just couldn't think of another way to make this happen." Then she wore a fashionable beige winter dress sweater with big buttons over her baby blue dress. "I mean if he didn't propose on our anniversary, then when? Christmas? That's the next major holiday. Which is a year from now! I don't want to have to freeze my eggs."

Anna and Nonoko almost laughed.

"What?" Hotaru, in a simple yet fashionable looking dress, disbelievingly asked.

"It's true. If I wait much longer I could be trying to get pregnant at 40! Remember cousin Mieko? Three years of infertility treatments! She had to take those pills that made her a complete whack job -"

"She got twins." Hotaru cut her off. "Just like mine."

"And I was thrilled for her. And of course for you. But twins won't work for me. I need to do one at a time, so I can keep my job, plus Eyouhan wants us to be able to travel – I mean suddenly we're four people on an airplane? I've seen you guys struggle through security!" Mikan said.

"It's not pretty." Anna, in shorts and tank top, muttered.

"I want one to be verbal and out of diapers before I have the second so that's a three-year to wait right there. The point is – I have to make this happen now."

Hotaru rolled her eyes.

"Well, if anyone can make this happen it's you. It's what you do, you stage things. And you're gonna have a great story, it's so romantic…" Anna blabbered making Hotaru roll her eyes again.

"And Eyouhan loves surprises." Mikan happily thought.

"Trust me, you are coming back engaged." Nonoko held her hand and squeezed it lightly.

Mikan then picked up her bags after thanking and smiling at Nonoko. "Can't leave these things to chance, right?"

"You're not. You're getting engaged." said Hotaru which made Mikan teary eyed and they both smiled.

"Now go do it!" Anna and Nonoko cheered together. Mikan heads inside the terminal, determined. She pulled up her designer bag with her and a shoulder bag as she bid goodbyes to her friends.

While some of the world's top cardiologists watch a presentation of medical slides and technical data, Eyouhan suddenly ducked out to the back of the room.

"Hey! I finally got you! I'm getting on the plane right now!"

His smile widened as he recognized that voice, it was his girlfriend. When he got a message that she's heading to where he is right now, Eyouhan was more than surprised. He was amazed that Mikan's coming over, but more amazed with how her voice from afar sounded so clear. "Wow, it sounds so clear! What phone are you on, is that your cell?"

There was an intercut before Mikan replied.

"How about…'hey, I can't believe you're coming to Ireland!'"

"Well that goes without saying." Eyouhan said. "What changed your mind?"

"I don't know. I finished that condo I was staging and I saw this long weekend ahead of me and who I am to turn down a free trip to Dublin?" She giggled afterwards.

Eyouhan chuckled back. "Well, it's a nice surprise."

At the back of the line, Mikan smiled to herself because she was pleased. This could be a good sign.

"Oh, they're telling me I have to turn off my phone now. I love you, I'll see you tomorrow!"

Mikan hung the phone up and fastened her seatbelt. She slips on her neck pillow and tucked out her head phones before an old man in a priest suit sat beside her. She smiled to him and he smiled back, and then he approached her.

"Are you travelling on business or pleasure?" asked the kind man.

Mikan smiled. "I'm going to propose to my boyfriend on Leap Day."

The old man looked surprised, or more startled, and tried to not to look disbelieving. "Are you now?" Mikan looked at him while blowing an airbag. "Congratulations." And then he headed back to his bible and widened his eyes, exhaling deeply after Mikan mumbled a thank you.

"Eyouhan…" The brunette muttered, surprising the old man because he thought she would not talk again to him, "…my boyfriend, is staying there on a business." The old man nodded back, did not know what to say. "We've been together four years." She continued, not knowing that the old man is actually not interested at her anymore because of her ridiculous declaration. "Four years. It's a long time." She said but the old man just nodded again. "It's not like I'm rushing…" but the old man thinks she is. "…anything by doing this. You know."

Hours later and Mikan is still blabbering.

"He bought me earrings. Don't get me wrong, they're beautiful. But earrings have exactly no commitment, not like commitment is an issue but we're buying this apartment together and it's perfect because I know exactly how to change it." She's eyeing at an image of the NAGIHIKO's to show to the old man. "We're just gonna knock down that wall, see? If we open up the kitchen a little, anything goes together back at the dining area. See? We're free on all this…." Then she looked up to the old man, only finding out he was already, uhm, asleep.

A little offended, Mikan pouted and shut down the image and popped up her sleeping pill. She then closed her eyes.

But…a sound of the roar of jet engines suddenly heard as the plane soars eastward, toward the darkening horizon.

Hours later, she was awakened by turbulence. Whump! She turned, still groggy – her headphones slide awkwardly over one eye.

"What's going on?" She tried to inquire.

The passenger next to her, the old man, pointed out his window. Anna looked out to see the thick cloud layer, flashing with lightning. Whump! A few passengers gasped as she held over to something. "I'm getting engaged. I'm getting engaged. I'm not gonna die without getting engaged!"

The pilot suddenly spoke over intercom.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, as you can tell we've encountered some bumps due to thunderstorms over Dublin area. Unfortunately, due to the unexpected severity of the weather, the Dublin airport has been shut down until further notice. We will be diverting to Cardiff in Wales, where our representatives will do our best to get you to your final destinations as soon as possible."

Mikan frowned as the passengers all groan except the passenger beside her. The plane banks and turns. She, who still looks disoriented, said "Wales? No, w-we can't land in Wales."

The old man beside her gasped, eyes widened. "At least we're landing!"

"Yes! But I'm on a schedule!" She insisted. The old man's eyes widened more and in disbelief to the maximum. What's with this woman?

╭（′▽‵）╭（′▽‵）╭（′▽‵）╯ ╭（′▽‵）╭（′▽‵）╭（′▽‵）╯ ╭（′▽‵）╭（′▽‵）╭（′▽‵）╯

The place is a zoo: full of tired and angry passengers, all trying to get their actual destinations. Mikan was found in front of the Aer Lingus desk, throngs of other impatient travelers behind her.

"No flights until tomorrow?" she asked.

The Aer Lingus representatives are in Welsh accent, not obviously tired but they are, as hundreds and thousands of passengers are endlessly inquiring.

"Tomorrow, Madame." The black haired representative answered with plastic smile.

"Tomorrow?" Mikan ensured.

"I think that's what I said, didn't I Yura?" she turned to her partner. Yura nodded with the same plastic smile. "That is what you said." Yura nodded.

"Well, no no no. That's not going to work for me. Look." Mikan leaned closer to the still smiling representatives, trying to convince them. "I'm going to propose to my boy friend on the 29th. On Leap Day. It's an old Irish tradition and I need to…buy a dress, and… and buy a ring and, book a restaurant and so, between us girls I think you can see why I really need to be there tonight." She grinned widely, hoping to catch their attention.

They also grinned at her widely. The black haired representative said, "All right."

Mikan thought that she has convinced them to give her a special treatment but…

" Yura…Will you please ring Dublin International Airport and get them to open their runway especially for Madame." She said sarcastically while eyeing Yura. "Right away." Replied the other as they both and turned to Mikan in unison, having that smile that is not funny anymore and in fact, pissing.

Mikan frowned and got their point, that there's no way she could convince them and it's hopeless. So she walked away and rode a bus to get to another station that could bring her to Dublin right away. This is one of the traits Hotaru disliked about her. Being so impatient and cannot understand the consequences.

Leaning on another desk she greeted another representative, "Hi." With a nice smile, "I'd like a ticket to Cork please."

"That is cancelled." The representative quickly replied.

Mikan, already tired because of her six hundred dollar high heeled shoes, pissed with the people's smiling masks and almost hopeless said, "What is wrong with this country?"

The representative leaned forward to her. "I usually blame the government." He then looked left to right. "But this one's the weather. Storms ei?"

Mikan was so pissed she dragged her luggage. "Well, glad to hear about that. Then I'll just have to bring my own boat." And left.

A miserable looking Mikan rides through Wales on a bus. She rides through Wales on a train. She gets off that train and barely makes it to a different train. It's still raining on and off. And all the while she's trying unsuccessfully to get reception on her BlackBerry. And it's getting dark by the time she makes it to the Swansea Ferry Dock.

She just won't give up. She's a determined woman – a very determined and stubborn woman. She won't let the stupid weather ruin her schedule, the schedule that she planned thoroughly to get to Eyouhan and propose to him and get a happy ending.

She arrived at the Swansea Ferry Station. She's terribly tired and she just lugged her bags up to the lone agent at the ticket counter.

"Is this the ferry to Cork? And is that where I catch the train to Dublin?" she asked, catching her breath.

"Yes it is, Ma'am." The agent said and her energy was regained. Finally! "But perhaps you'll want to wait until mornin'. Looks like it might start blowin' pretty hard out there…" And then her spirit got down low. She celebrated ahead of it and now she lost it.

She leaned over the counter, almost threatening. She wanted to cry but she chose not to.

The storm is raging again. The boat is being tossed around the huge swells. Seawater crashes over the sides. Mikan is hanging on to a rail for dear life. She is trying to stay dry which is impossible, and not to lose her lunch. This is totally miserable.

She had found a boat that would bring her to Cork for several big amounts of dollars but with the storm in their way, her precious life was put to risk. Mikan did not thought of how risky it was earlier, for she was so stubborn that all she wanted was to get to Eyouhan tonight, no matter what.

Then, the storm has let up slightly as the ferry finally chugs into port.

Mikan, looking much worse for wear, dragged her bags up to the exit platform. The Captain, looking a little pale himself, helped her off.

"Cork train station?" Mikan asked, a bit dizzy.

"Cork?" The Captain eyed her. "You are not in Cork, dear."

"What? Why not?!" the brunette bursted.

"Did you not see that storm? We had to divert! You're lucky to be alive!" The Captain almost yelled, in disbelief.

And so Mikan couldn't also believe this. "Then, where the hell am I?"

"Dingle." The Captain swiftly answered.

"Dingle? Well how do I get to Dublin from here?" He shrugged and looked up. It has started to snow.

"How about that? I don't think it's snowed here in thirty years. I'm gonna need you to get off the boat now."

He escorted her off the walkway on to the dock. The snow starts to fall a little heavier. The Captain pulls the walkway back to the boat. Mikan looked around and saw a small cluster of lights in the distance.

A town.

* * *

**Can u feel how unlucky and miserable her day was? Just to get married!**

**Anyways, bcoz i love u guys, i posted the second chapter! This chapter, i hope, will clear ur thoughts. **

**I am now thanking those wonderful people who followed and made this story one of their faves! Of course, big big thanks to those who reviewed. Muah!**

**Here are the list of those amazing reviewers...with replies from the grateful author...**

StarElsie - No. Mikan's bf is not cheating on her. You see, she still received a jewelry from him, the bracelet. It's just that Mikan expected a ring, wc was the reason of her gloomy mood on their dinner. She assumed that's why she got disappointed. Do you get me? Did i explained it well?

ai sakura - thanks for liking! Dont worry, Natsume will appear on the next chapter! And Koko and Tsubasa too!

Kisekinosedai - oh thanks for noticing! I hope that's really true. It's been hard to write lately...BTW, Eyouhan is not cheating on her. He's just literal, insensitive and Mikan just expected too much.

Cute Tangerine204 - thanks for saying that! And bcoz you're very curious, here's the next chapter! I agree he's a jerk. God! They're in a relationship for years and he still didn't get her a ring! But the bracelet is beautiful too...

AnimeMango - thank you! Yeah, Mikan hoped so too...

anon - yes it is! I mentioned I don't own the plot right? But there are still differences you see? ∩_∩

**so guys, if i receive more reviews, alert and faves, I'll definitely post another chapter again! This day! It's ready you know. See you guys again. I hope ur misunderstanding will be cleared now.**

**If u still have questions, it's free to ask. I'll answer! **

**Godbless!**

**Natsume's gonna appear on the next chapter!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Sixty Seconds**

A **Gakuen Alice Fan fiction** Partnered by **Universal Pictures and Spyglass Entertainment's Leap Year**

**Disclaimer:** I totally disclaim Gakuen Alice. There is nothing here that I own, neither the plot. But I do own the idea of merging Gakuen Alice's main protagonists Mikan Sakura and Natsume Hyuuga and Leap Year's story line. **I repeat – I do not own Gakuen Alice and Leap Year.**

**Author's Note: **If the site sees that I have broken a policy upon posting this story, then I don't have anything to object to. However, I just wanted to share this wonderful story to everyone with Mikan and Natsume being the protagonists. So if ever this story is deleted or blocked by the site, then it means that you guys cannot read this anymore. But if not, I hope you'll enjoy :).

Snow continued to fall on the lone muddy road makes up the main street of this tiny village town. Mikan dragged her bags behind her. They are now covered in mud, and so as her six hundred dollar shoes. She's not looking too goof herself. All the shop fronts look dark, except for one little tavern with the light on.

The sign above the door is broken. It looks like it reads AKURA'S. The windows are filthy. But she doesn't really have much choice.

So she entered. It would be kind to call the place dingy. It's empty except for two men at the bar, mid argument. It looks like they never leave their bar stools. One with dark blue hair under his trusty bonnet – a half Japanese half Irish named Tsubasa Egan and the other had dirty blonde spiky hair named Nicholas McFadden, or Koko for short.

"You're a fluthered arse is what you are!" The bonnet man said, scratching his cheek where she saw a star tattoo.

"We're not talking about "greatest Irish poet"! You said, "greatest love poet"! And I say Keats are better than Yeats!" The dirty blonde guy said, looking goofy all around.

"Aaargh!"

Mikan tried to butt in. "Um, excuse me? But, does anyone know how can I get to Dublin from here?"

They glanced at Mikan. And then looked back at their drinks.

"Hmph. Someone got lost on her way to the Blarney Stone." Koko said.

"Or the Guinness factory!" replied Tsubasa.

They cackled and laughed. Mikan just stood there.

"Is there a train, maybe? To Dublin?" she asked again.

Koko turned to Tsubasa. "A young Japanese woman had arrived. Why would she come all the way out here on her own?"

Tsubasa shrugged. "Probably she's from Tokyo."

"She's not from Tokyo. She's from Osaka."

"Fool! Her accent is Tokyo-ish." Argued the bonnet guy.

"Hello? I'm right here. Yes. My name's Mikan and I'm from Tokyo, Japan. And I'm trying to…"

"Wine comes in at the mouth. And love comes in at the eye; I lift the glass to my mouth, I look at you, and I sigh. -Yeats! Bloody brilliant!" recited Koko.

"That's not about love, it's about drinkin', ya scuttered plonker!" Then Tsubasa recites. "Pillow's upon my fair love's ripening breast, To feel for ever its soft fall and swell, Awake forever in a sweet unrest… That's a real love poem! By a real poet…"

"Ah, you just like 'cause he's talkin' about breasts!" Koko cut him off.

"Damn right! Just cause the last pair of tits you saw was your mother's…"

"The last pair of tits I saw was your mother's!"

They exchanged "Arrrrghs" and drank.

Mikan stared at them for a second.

"Uh, I see you're having an important discussion but I really do need to find a way to get to…" She was cut off by a coarse voice that came from the inside of the bar.

"Dublin. We heard you the first time."

She turned, startled, at the gruff voice. And emerging from the shadows at the end of the bar comes the bartender. A raven-haired, scruffy, crimson eyes, glowering brute of a man in his mid-thirties. He almost growls at Mikan as he wiped out a dirty pint glass.

"Let me tell you something, Mikan from Tokyo. I've been to Dublin. And it's a city for blaggards and cheats and backstabbing snakes. It's where the worst kind of slime and sewage and shite runs off of this great country and collects in pools and they needed to give it a name so they called it Dublin." He told her. He spit on the floor and went back to cleaning his glass.

Mikan nods. Oh-kay.

"Is there any place else open around here tonight?"

Tsubasa spoke. "The bus. I'd take the bus."

Mikan was relieved, somehow. "There's a bus!" she almost hoorayed.

"The bus to Kilarney. Then the train to Cork…"

"Cork! Right, I know I can get there from Cork-" Again, Mikan was cut off and this time by Koko. She frowned at them and sighed exasperatedly.

"Cork? Why would you send her to Cork? She should take the train to Limerick and then the bus to Kildare!"

"Kildare? Then she won't even see the Ring of Kerry!"

Koko thumped his foot. "She didn't ask to see the Ring of Kerry, you gobshite!"

Actually, Mikan only wanted an answer. She is so tired but she was so lucky to still have the energy to deal with these people. "Is there any way just to drive? Like hire a taxi or car right now and just go? Look, I changed my money at the airport, God knows I had time." She dug through her purse. "And I've got seven hundred Euros to whoever can drive me straight to Dublin tonight."

She held up the wad of cash. Koko and Tsubasa stared at it. This must be a lot of money to them. It even grabbed the crimson eyed bartender's attention.

Koko turned to Tsubasa. "I'm thinking you might find somebody for seven hundred Euros."

Tsubasa nodded. This is rare. "No argument from me."

Mikan smiled inwardly. Now she's getting somewhere.

"Expecting you can't leave. It's Friday. It's bad luck to start a journey on a Friday." Tsubasa continued. Oh god Irish people. They are luck believers! Which she isn't!

Koko commented. "Or start a new business. You don't want to start a business either on Friday…"

Tsubasa whacked his head. "Does she look like she's startin' a business?!"

Koko rubbed his sore head. "You also shouldn't move into a house on a Friday. Or cut a new dress for that matter…" And he completely ignored his friend.

Tsubasa sighed and massaged his temples. "You can't cut a dress on a Tuesday, you idiot!"

Mikan already had enough. "Seven hundred Euros to anyone with a car!"

"Nobody's taking you anywhere right now." The voice came from inside the bar, from a man who's leaning his arms to the long wooden table, the same man with rare crimson orbs. He'll put this to an end. He also had enough, he will get a headache if this will continue. "It's the middle of the night. No one's crawling out of their beds just 'cause you decided you need to get to Dublin. You're just gonna have to wait till morning to throw your money at someone."

Mikan looked at the two annoying guys, waiting for them to disagree. But they didn't.

"Well, what am I supposed to do until then?" Mikan asked, looking so lost.

The bartender did not respond. That's already your problem, he thought.

"She can stay here." Tsubasa suggested.

"I don't have room." The bartender quickly said.

"Natsume Hyuuga, you got a floor full of vacant rooms up there and you're gonna throw this lass out into the streets?" Nice, now they're helping her.

"I'm fine. I'll just find a hotel…."

Koko butted in. "That's not Las Vegas out there, darlin'. This **is** the hotel."

Mikan eyed him, and then Tsubasa and then the bartender who she believes was named Natsume, as Tsubasa said earlier.

"One night. That's it."

Under her breath, "I imagine that'll be plenty." And then she picked up her bags.

"She looks hungry." said Tsubasa. "Maybe she'd like a little something to eat."

"Crispy duck!" Koko cheered.

The men looked quite excited by this. Mikan could be interested….Natsume just glared.

"The kitchen's closed."

He then grabbed a room key off a hook and headed upstairs. Mikan just followed, disappointed while her stomach quietly growled.

They stopped in front of a tiny bedroom. Natsume threw the door open. The room looks like it hasn't been slept in a while. The frilly Irish lace bedspread looks ancient. There are cobwebs in the corners. Mikan looked less than thrilled.

"The loo is down the hall." said Natsume.

"Are there towels in – "

He slammed the door shut before she can finish her sentence. Mikan looked around the poorly lit room. She tried to pull up, she tried to keep it all together. Exhausted, she sat down on the bed – kicking up a cloud of dust from the sheets. Wonderful.

A while…

Mikan is in the tiny guest room. Her suitcase is open on the bed. She opened the closet to try and hang up a few items. Only, she can't open the closet because it opens right into the bed.

She tempted to squeeze a dress into the little space but she can't even do that. Then she saw another closet door on the other side of the bed.

Arms full of clothes, she shimmied her way along the narrow space to get to the other side. But the second closet is packed up with hotel supplies – a few brooms tip out and hit her on the arm as two large boxes of chocolate mints crashed to the floor. Along with a lone photograph: Natsume with his arm around a pretty blue haired fragile looking woman.

Mikan cannot help but glance at it for a moment.

But suddenly her BlackBerry chirped. She picked it up. Woah, there is actually a signal! Finally! Some good news…But the battery is blinking low. Mikan quickly rifled through her bag and pulled out a European adapter and her power. She looked around to find an outlet. Hmmm…none.

"Such impossible for a room not to have an outlet." She muttered while she looked under tables and the bed.

Aha! There's one.

After a hurried struggle and maneuvering and moving of the bed, she's able to plug in the adapter and at last, her Blackberry and PZZZZZZZZZZT! The adapter sparked and her BlackBerry got fried before her eyes. Mikan gasped like she's been stabbed in the heart.

From upstairs, Mikan's bloodcurdling scream was heard. Natsume, Koko and Tsubasa looked up at the ceiling, perplexed. None of them moved to get up.

"Why don't you just take her to Dublin?" Tsubasa managed to ask, while asking for a refill of his drink. Natsume rolled his eyes, this refill and the earlier ones will not pass this bonneted man's debt list. "You rather give Mochiage that seven hundred?"

"Yeah, 'cause he's a taxi service and I aren't."

Koko snickered. "He's a ginger bastard is what he is."

"How many past due notices are you expectin' to get from the bank? It was a loan, not a bloody gift." Tsubasa made him remember.

Then in the middle of their conversation, they heard the clanging of pipes as Mikan turned on the shower. They just ignored it like earlier.

"Maybe if two piss artists would pay for your own drinks once in a while – " Yep, Koko and Tsubasa rarely pay for their drinks, leaving Natsume a long list of debts.

"Oh I see. So we're the problem. It's got nothing to do with your gambling the money away in card games -"

"Or dog racing." Koko added.

"Or which leaf's gonna fall off the Hawthorne tree." Tsubasa finished.

"I had a good tip on that Hawthorne leaf." Natsume said with a smirk, remembering the good old days.

Tsubasa glared at him. "I'm serious, Natsie. It's been a year, you may wanna take your head out your ass and run a business again. You never cook nothin'—"

"We're your only customers most nights-"

"This place is fine! Whyn't you mind your own business, then? I'm grand!" Natsume almost yelled, but not mad.

Tsubasa turned to Koko and said, "If bullshit was music he'd be a bleedin' brass band. " Then he turned to Natsume. "You're not grand, your shite! And this place is shite! Moping around here all day and night with that ring."

At the mention of the ring which was originally was her mothers, Natsume looked at the floor.

"That bank's gonna take this place at the end of the month and you don't seem to care! Your Ma built this place from scratch and you're about to piss it all away!" Tsubasa reminded him again.

Sense suddenly crept up onto him, plus the past. Kaoru Hyuuga, his beloved mother, had the tavern first when it was just a little kitchen with two to three tables. Then with determination and perseverance, it became a big dining area and soon, it became a tavern with rooms to stay in.

The place got him finish his studies, he had a business course, but after Kaoru died when he graduated he lost his drive and her mother left him with the tavern. Now, he gambled and let the place destroy itself as he did not cared about if there are no more people coming over.

As Kaoru's memories sensed him up, he almost whacked himself for doing such crazy things. His mother gave all of her just to make the place work but he's here, ruining it all. He even pawned the place for money which he just used in gambling. Few more days and he's outta work and he's outta his house.

Koko drank up all his drink. "Or go ahead and live on the street. Don't matter to me, I can drink anywhere."

Mikan had finally removed her wet clothes and is about to grab something out of her suitcase to put on when the door opened and showed Natsume Hyuuga, the owner of AKURA's.

"All right. I'll drive you." He platonically said, scanning her from head to toe.

Mikan shrieked and dropped down between the bed and the wall. "Do you not knock?!"

Natsume shrugged. "Why do I gotta knock, it's my house."

Mikan sighed exasperatedly. "Because I'm a guest? And I'm not even dressed!"

Natsume rolled his eyes and then he saw the fallen boxes of mints and the photo, still on the floor.

"What're you doing with those?"

"They fell on me." Mikan clenched the towel she's holding.

"Why were you looking in there anyway?"

He quickly grabbed the stuff off the floor, shoved the photo in his pocket and the mints back in the closet.

"C-Could you please turn around?!"

Already annoyed, Natsume made a big show of turning around to give her some privacy.

"There. Better?"

Mikan glared at his back. "Not really. No."

"We're leaving first thing. Seven AM." Natsume said with authority.

Mikan managed to slip into a large t-shirt from her bag and quickly wore it on. "The sooner the better." She said while slipping her arms to the garment.

Natsume glanced to his shoulder. "And I want all seven Euro. In advance."

Her mouth was opened with his consequence. "No way. You get it when we get there. How do I know you're not gonna rip me off?"

He turned around to front her completely. What a stunning Japanese woman he had before him. Her brunette hair still dripping wet made her look sexy, her thin and small body under the oversized white t-shirt, her smooth looking legs and…polka-dotted panty was quite a heavenly sight to see for whoever pervert there was. But he denies he isn't.

"Lady, if I want your money I'll sneak in here while you're sleeping and just take it." He said, trying to look unaffected with her.

Mikan had her chin up. "Thank you. I'll sleep so much better knowing that. You will get it when we get there."

Natsume had his arms crossed his chest. "Fine. Deal." He was about to leave when she interrupted him.

"And I need to use your phone. Your outlet destroyed mine." She held up her dead BlackBerry.

"Got a phone card?"

She shook.

"Phone's five a minute."

Mikan shook her head as she pulled on her jeans.

Natsume's phone is on the counter. There's a lot of fine cooking supplies in there, all with a fine layer of dust over them. She then called Eyouhan while Natsume just stood next to her, looking at the clock the entire time.

"Oh my God, Eyouhan! It was a nightmare!" Mikan exclaimed drastically.

Eyouhan is in bed. A large, luxurious bed with expensive linens. He is playing with his iPhone when his girlfriend called and told him her exhausting story.

"I can't believe it, that's an outrage. I'll have my office call the airline and get you comped for the ticket. Save all your receipts."

There was an intercut.

"They already offered me a free ticket. Like I'm ever coming to Ireland again. And I ruined my suede bag. Destroyed. "

Eyouhan sympathetically called her with an endearment. "Honey."

"I know." Mikan said softly. She's pouty. Natsume made a face, clearly disgusted.

"It's probably too late now to get a car. Okay, I'm going to skip my morning seminar and come out there and get you." Eyouhan suggested, as he feels worried about Mikan.

"No, honey. Don't do that. I'd feel guilty if you missed anything important. I got this …" She looked at Natsume, who is eating from a jar of olives, and mopping the liquid off his shirt. "…person here to take me. We're leaving first thing in the morning."

Natsume spitted the olive pit across the room at a large trash bin. Score!

Mikan was clearly disgusted. "First thing." She continued.

"Okay baby. I love you."

"I love you too."

Natsume spitted another pit. Two in a row.

Eyouhan spoke again. "Gotta tell ya, I'm seriously disappointed with Dublin. Two whole days and I haven't seen a single leprechaun." Mikan tried to laugh but she's yawning. "Listen to you, get some sleep. You must be exhausted."

"I am."

They said their goodbyes and hung up. Natsume spitted a third pit. Ping! It hit the top of the bin and ricochets back - landing in Mikan's hair. She froze, thoroughly appalled. She shook her head the tiniest bit. Plop. The pit fell to the floor.

With a shudder, she stalked out of the room. Natsume called after her. "That's twenty Euro!"

"Put it on my bill!" she said, out of sight. Then he heard her stomped back upstairs.

* * *

HAha! What can you say? Natsume finally appeared! Their first meeting may not be so cute but the next chapter will give you scenes full of them both! And i am excited to post the next one bcoz it's going to be funny. Well atleast for me.

Bunch of thanks to those who puts this story in their favorites list and also those who followed! I'm already grateful for the numbers since there are just two chapters! Well now is three and so I'm still hoping to get more!

Next time I'm gonna write the list of the followers and alertees! Its so hard to type a long message in a hardtouch phone!

And ofcourse! The ever amazing reviewers! Thanks for not flaming i love u all!

StarElsie - you're the 1st reviewer every chapter! Thank so much!

AnimeMango - oh u dont know how glad u made me for saying that. But Im afraid if u want to see how the proposal will go then you have to stick til the end. :)

sapphire4178 - thanks for reviewing! Ill look forward for more! Here's an apple

Cute Tangerine204 - yes you can say that! Eyouhan's in...updates can tell you! If u have already found out, tell me!

Rocking Angels - let's see that!シ

K-chan's Kisses - are you watching kissxsis?

K-chan's Kisses - oh nvrmind what I just said...its just that the name you are using...hahaha...anyways, thanks for reviewing in both chapters! Im so happy...and for your long and informative messages!

Till the next time guys! Ill try to update very soon...


	4. Chapter 4

**Sixty Seconds**

A **Gakuen Alice Fan fiction** Partnered by **Universal Pictures and Spyglass Entertainment's Leap Year**

**Disclaimer:** I totally disclaim Gakuen Alice. There is nothing here that I own, neither the plot. But I do own the idea of merging Gakuen Alice's main protagonists Mikan Sakura and Natsume Hyuuga and Leap Year's story line. **I repeat – I do not own Gakuen Alice and Leap Year.**

**Author's Note: **If the site sees that I have broken a policy upon posting this story, then I don't have anything to object to. However, I just wanted to share this wonderful story to everyone with Mikan and Natsume being the protagonists. So if ever this story is deleted or blocked by the site, then it means that you guys cannot read this anymore. But if not, I hope you'll enjoy :).

The sun is coming up over the town.

Mikan came through the bar with her suitcase. She's ready to go. She stopped and looked around for a minute. The morning light is coming through the dusty windows and you can see that this place has remnants of charm – they've been sorely neglected, but they're there. Too different from what she saw last night.

She stopped in front of an old framed photograph of a beautiful young woman standing in front of AKURA's, holding a baby. The place looks pristine and she smiles, proud. She's lovely. She has pitched black hair, shoulder length and crimson eyes. The sign hanging above her reads: SAKURA'S.

A few minutes she stepped out into the sun. Now that she can see the streets, the homes, Dingle actually looks picturesque. Too different from what she saw last night…again.

The snow mostly melted. The homes are painted in bright, cheery colors, with window boxes full of flowers. A group of children comes running down the street, laughing. A man rolled by on a bicycle, rang his little bell and nodded in Mikan's direction. A woman passed, and she actually smiled at her.

"Good morning," The woman said.

She did not say anything. She seemed stunned by the gregariousness. She quickly called after the woman.

"Good morning!"

The woman turned and smiled. She gave her a little wave. As Mikan watched the woman leave, she noticed a tiny Antique shop across the street. She crossed to look in the window. Mikan pressed her nose up to the window. Tea sets, silver service, porcelain figures. In a tiny jewelry box, a Claddagh ring was placed. And just beyond that, a ceramic plate, hand painted with the inscription: Giorraionn Beirt Bothar - Two Shorten the Road. Well, you know what it means. It's romantic.

She smiled, finding this sweet, perhaps charming.

Bang! A car backfired behind her and she jumped because of it. She turned to see what it was and it turned out that it was the mighty Hyuuga rolling up to the front of the AKURA'S in a car that looks about fifty years old. Because it is. A rusty, sputtering, Wolseley Hornet. Natsume honked the horn while Mikan just looked at him, horrified.

He looked at her and honked again, clearly annoyed. Why doesn't this woman not getting already to the car? Then he honked again, as if she does not know what the honk means. He honked and honked, until Mikan groaned loudly and walked over to the car.

"I'm hoping that's the car that's gonna take us around the corner to the actual taxi." Mikan said. She clearly doesn't want to ride the rusty car. It wasn't trusty enough for her. It's like it's gonna break to pieces if driven.

Natsume got out of the car and slammed its door.

"This is a Wolseley Hornet. She's a workhorse." Natsume plainly replied, punching the red car's roof, proving to her that it's tough.

"The car's been alive longer than you, Miss Mikan from Tokyo."

Mikan snorted. "That's what concerns me."

"She's classic."

"Yeah." Mikan mockingly moaned, walking past near the car's windows to the back compartment. "None of those fancy airbags to get in your way…"

Natsume rolled his beautiful crimson eyes. "Don't listen to her. She doesn't know what she says." He whispers to the car. Then he stared out of nowhere, oblivious that Mikan needed some helping given that she does not know how to open the compartment. So she stared at her as hard as she can until he turned to her.

"Do you mind?" She said.

He smirked inwardly and went to the back compartment while muttering, "Oh sure."

He opened the compartment was about to toss her luggage but the stubborn suitcase's handle cannot be folded. "How's this work…" He mutter to himself and tried to fold it, so he thumped it brutally on the ground.

Mikan was about to go to the front seat when she heard loud noises. She went to Natsume who is having a hard time folding the handle and is nearly pissed. "Can you be careful with that? It was a gift from my boyfriend." She said, tucking strands of hair behind her ears.

He looked at her. "He bought you a suitcase." At first, Natsume thought she was just joking. What kind of a man would actually buy his girlfriend a suitcase?

She chuckled and looked back at him. "I-It's a Vuitton." She's a little insulted. Mikan knew that a suitcase is not such a romantic gift, but looking at the price that comes with it, she feels that Eyouhan really gives effort in buying her things. And it was something that she wanted Natsume to know.

He looked at her with confused and mocking smirk. "What?"

"Uh, uh…Louie Vuitton?"

"Come on."

Sensing that he's just mocking and playing with her, Mikan rolled her eyes and went to the front seat. She gave up and ignored him. While Natsume, feeling successful in teasing her, gave his attention to the suitcase.

"So, is it you said of, Louie?" He held it up, handle folded and said, "Can I give you a hand to get into the car, Louie?" Then he tossed it inside without any care. "The suitcase got a name. Absurd." Well, can't help it if Louie Vuitton does not exist in Natsume Hyuuga's dictionary. He's not fond of such expensive and girly things. But he did get that it cost so much.

But before Mikan and Natsume could enter the car, Koko and Tsubasa approached them.

"You goin' through Limerick, Natsume?" Tsubasa asked.

"I told you, she don't want to miss the Ring of Kerry!" Koko said.

"What, do you work for the visitor's board? What's so great about the damn Ring of Kerry?!" Tsubasa yelled.

Koko glared at his good friend. "It's beautiful! Was good enough for Charlie Chaplin –"

"Look at her! She doesn't even know who Charlie Chaplin is." Tsubasa pointed at Mikan.

Koko groaned. Tsubasa groaned longer. They're done arguing with each other.

"While I actually do know who Charlie Chaplin is, I'd just like to go whichever way's the fastest. Preferably in a – nice, safe vehicle?" Mikan said, arms crossed.

"She's plenty safe, look at that!" Tsubasa replied to her, referring to the car and he slammed his hand on the metal dashboard. "That's all steel right there."

Mikan grimaced. "I repeat, none of those fancy airbags to get in your way."

Natsume barked at her. "Would you get in already? Thought you were in some big hurry."

"I am." Mikan quickly replied. So, they both get inside the car. Mikan shored up her courage and headed for the passenger's side. "Well, Nice meeting you –"

"Hold it!" Suddenly, he was cut off by Tsubasa which made her startled, as he pointed at a stray black cat that's wandered up to the car. "You can't go now. Black cat's a bad luck."

"I'm sorry?" Mikan seemed bespangled.

Tsubasa was very serious about this. "It's a bad luck to start a journey if you see a black cat."

But actually? Mikan won't see the cat if he did not pointed at it.

Koko butted in. "I think it's a magpie."

Tsubasa gritted his teeth. "It's a bleedin' cat, you dim bastard!"

Honestly, Mikan had enough.

"You know what, I'll be just fine. To be honest I don't believe in luck. I think you make your own-" Again, she was cut off by Tsubasa.

"You don't believe in luck?!" He said, disbelievingly.

"That's daft! What else don't you believe in? Gravity?" Koko bluffed.

"The moon?" Tsubasa followed.

Mikan massaged her temples. What is with these guys? They were like old men with mental issues. So she's not about to get into it with these guys.

"Well, as I said, nice meeting you."

Tsubasa and Koko are still coming up with more absurd examples. Natsume turned the engine over. The car rumbled and rattled and Mikan definitely looked uneasy because she was disturbed with the car's status. She reached for her seatbelt, which she found missing, and only found a lap belt.

"There's no shoulder part." She talked to Natsume, pertaining to the missing shoulder belt.

Natsume sighed as he reached over, grabbing it and roughly buckled her in. He yanked it tight and she's all too shocked to say anything. Tsubasa leaned over for a final goodbye so as Koko who is just waving beside Tsubasa.

"Safe travels, lass. Go n-eiri an bother leat. May the road rise up to meet you."

She gave them a sweet smile for the sweet message. She is slowly waving back at them while the car slowly started hitting the road and the next thing she knew, they were on the bumpiest road in Ireland. Well, maybe in the world.

Mikan was jostled about the Hornet like she's on horseback. So that's what he meant earlier that it was a workhorse. Great. Now she looked a little green. She then looked over Natsume, which seemed not to mind the bumps at all…like he was used to it…as if it was normal.

He's just listening to some loud local punk band on the radio and eating some extremely messy sandwich…with eggs involved. A-And some kind of meat. A particularly sloppy bite suddenly spilled onto his shirt. He scooped it up with his free hand and slurped it into his mouth.

Eeeew. Disgusting.

Mikan exhaled and she rolled her eyes. She went to open her window to sniff some fresh Irish air but it won't roll down. The handle just keeps on turning but nothing happens.

"My window doesn't work." She muttered briefly.

No response. But still, she remained to be cheery.

"Well, this is good. It's only a few hours, right? Maybe I can get some Dublin shopping in before the stores close."

Natsume's response was a satisfied belch. It was totally gross. She wanted to punch the window glass and let out her face.

"That's why you're going to Dublin? To shop?" Natsume quickly said, seemed interested to her now since he started asking questions.

"No, I'm going to…" Mikan was disturbed and annoyed with the loudness of the music that she barely hears her own voice. "…can you turn the radio down, please? It's really loud."

The raven haired man rolled his flared bloody eyes and reached over to the radio to snap it off.

"Thank you. I'm going there to propose to my boyfriend. On the 29th. You know, for Leap Year?" She started to feel excited. "We had our four year anniversary and he's there on business. He's a cardiologist. There's a big international medical conference in Dublin? He's the only Japanese physician to get there!"

Natsume doesn't seem to care, as he just continues driving while Mikan continued her informative and proud speech.

"I actually thought he was going to propose a few days ago but he didn't and well, we're about to buy this co-op together so, surprise! He has no idea that's why I'm coming, but I am. I'm doing it." Mikan cannot believe herself doing it so she laughed and exclaimed. "Whoo!" She giggled. Giddy.

"Whoo!" Natsume copied.

"Yeah!" Mikan cheered.

Natsume laughed hard. Crazy woman. "That's the fucking stupidest thing I've ever heard!"

The wide grin on Mikan's face faded and she now looked shocked. "I…no it isn't."

"Yeah, it is."

Mikan turned to him fully, ready to defend herself. "No, it's romantic! It's a tradition! An extremely romantic tradition!"

Natsume took a bite on his sandwich. "An extremely stupid tradition."

"Stop saying that!" Now Mikan began to feel pissed.

"It's just a fact, Squid. It's a day for sad, desperate women to trap themselves to a man who clearly doesn't want to get married." For some reason, Natsume is right. But Mikan can't seem to see this fact. So she gasped, and she was deeply offended. "You've know if your man wanted to propose to you he'd have done it already."

Mikan pulled the sandwich out from his hand and threw it over the window. She laughed to tease him back, which he was. So Natsume just turned on the radio again but Mikan took it off and threw it also out to the road. With this, Natsume shouted at her. "No one touches the music!" He got out from his car and went outside to pick up the disc. Mikan went out to and followed him with an infuriating speech.

"You! You know nothing about me! Or…Eyouhan!" Natsume ignored her but she kept on going to him. "You know what you are? You're scenic. You're lonely, bitter, scenic!"

Natsume turned to her before picking up the disc laid flat on the ground. "Better than an idiot! Leap Year! Will you marry me? I got a suitcase named Louie!"

"Oh you! You don't know anything, jerk!"

He picked up the disc and wiped it clean. "No? Well, here's what I do know: It's all as useless as tits on a bull. You can be engaged or married or just having a shag but in the end you'll always end up alone. Somebody's gonna get left. That's the cold, hard truth. You're born alone and you die alone and that's the way life goes. End of story." Then he headed back to the car.

Mikan is fuming at the moment.

"End of your story!" She shouted at his back, then started following him back to the car. "You know who winds up alone? Rude…burpy people like you who could never attract a woman, let alone keep her! Look at you!"

He just laughed, which made her angrier.

"Look at me?" Natsume pointed himself, face flat as paper as always. "Look at you. Spoiled, whiny…" he then tried to imitate her in the believable way he could. "…'maybe I'll get some shopping in'…Swanning around with your fancy hairdo and your money and your very expensive luggage! So moronic." He turned his back and opened the door of the car, slamming it close.

"Oh, so you hate morons!" she blurted.

Natsume took out his head off the window and looked at her standing figure, hands on waist. "Everyone hates morons, Squid. Morons just aren't paying attention."

Mikan began walking towards him. "You know what? It's bad enough that you…no! No. Forget it. I will not stoop to your level. We're done. We're done talking. I'm not paying you to talk, I'm paying you to drive. So just drive!" Then she also slammed the door hard after walking in.

He just stared at her for a while and shrugged. "You got it, Squid." And he started the engine.

"And why do you keep calling me Squid?!"

Natsume zipped his lip. No talking right? Mikan is about to respond but she stopped herself. She just glared at him hard, piercing her with every irritated feeling she got. Then she turned and looked out the window. She'll try to put it all together. For the sake of everything!

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

If black cats are really bad luck, and with everything that keeps on happening with Mikan, it was a very good proof to give on those who does not believe. And so, the continuation of Mikan Yukihira's miserable life was put to another level. Now there they are, sitting without a word in a small car, staring blankly at the group of cows standing in the middle of the road.

Of all places they could wander, why is it that they need to stay and block the road?

Before she could spat, Natsume went out of the car and headed to a big rock near the cows. He sat there with a leg on his knee, tossing a tasty apple and then took a bite from it.

Mikan's ears almost gave out puffs of smoke and her face almost as red as the apple. She also went outside, stood in front of him with hands on her waist.

"Aren't you going to do something?" Mikan asked. For some reason, Natsume did not answer her. "I said aren't you going to…." She then realized that she told him not to talk. She rolled her eyes and sighed. "…You can talk now. Aren't you going to do something?"

He just shrugged.

"Whose cows are those? Shouldn't there be someone with them? Like a dog or a farmer?" She said.

What are they, sheep? Natsume shrugged again.

"Well, are they going to move?"

He just shrugged.

"Seriously?" Mikan's blood is starting to boil again.

He said nothing. Frustrated, Mikan went to the car and leaned over then she honked the horn. Natsume's face formed a scowl and stood up, went to her and swatted her hand. "Get off my horn." He roughly said.

"Well its' not like you're going to do anything!"

"I am doing something. I'm waiting for them to move."

Mikan inhaled. This man is really testing her patience. "But they're not moving! We don't even know how long they've been there!"

Natsume took a bite from his apple and chewed a bit before replying. "They're cows, not tombstones. They won't grow moss. You got two days before your big proposal, Squid. I'm sure they'll move before then."

Her eyebrow rose. "Okay? What does that mean? I mean, Squid?"

He looked at her. "It's slang, for quid. You know, money, cash?"

"You're calling me cash." She glared at him. She is, isn't she? "My name is Mikan, thank you." She looked back at the cows, starting to get impatient. "So, you're not going to do anything."

"What is it you'd like me to do?" Natsume's tone was lazy, uninterested and thick. His facial expression looked the same and he's going to use it until the day will end.

Mikan shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. Move them."

"Move 'em yourself." He chew the apple and muttered while grinning, "Squid."

Uuuuuugghhhhh! She erupted! Unbelievable!

"All right. Fine." She went to the cows and inhaled and clapped her hands together. "Hi cows. Uhm, look. I have spent the past twenty four hours in every level of hell. And I am not going to let your black and white asses drive me any further! So, if you know what's good for you, you'll move!" Mikan shoved her hands towards them as if something will happen.

"There will be real shocked if they find out that you speak fluent cow." Natsume said unclearly while munching the apple.

"Now!" Mikan let out a loud clap. But still, nothing happened. And she's not going to give up. She'll prove to the man over there, sitting prettily on a rock, that she can move them by herself. So, she shoved her hands towards them again and then they started to move. "That's right! Nice cows!"

"Why don't you propose something to them?" He teased.

Mikan didn't mind him.

"Wow, guys. You're uhm, you're big. We're gonna just…" she tapped one of the cows butt.

Natsume is amazed. "Yeah, they're moving now. Must be your personality."

Then the cows started to turn and head back to her, and she stumbled back. "No, no! The other way! Get away!" She whimpered. She tried to retreat, but is now mid-flock. She reached out, considered pushing one of them, but thought better of it. Instead, she lifted her foot. She gave one of them a gentle shove with her shoe.

It worked! It started to move! Mikan was obviously pleased as a small smile and a piece of hope crept up to her face. Natsume noticed this.

"Ha!" She went to repeat the motion but lost a shoe in the muck of the road. Yes, her high heeled shoe that cost more than someone's life. Joke. "My shoe!"

She balanced on one foot, trying to look down for her shoe, but more cows have wandered up and crowded the space around her.

Meanwhile, Natsume is just watching her while she's balancing on one leg, panicking. He just snorted. Until she suddenly fell, out of his sight, lost amidst the cows.

He quickly jumped out of the rock. He ran into the road, running at, and immediately commanding the cows. He swatted a couple of them as they pick up his pace and ran off the road, down the embankment on the other side.

He turned back to see Mikan, who is scowling from the road as she wrestles her shoe out of the muck. He jogged up and offered her his hand. She ignored it, struggling to her feet on her own.

"I wouldn't be down here if you'd just helped me to begin with." She strongly said, as if yelling while trying to clean her shoe.

"You wouldn't be down there if you'd just waited for the cows to cross."

Mikan scooped a handful of mud off her shoe. She went to the Hornet and leaned there, while wearing her it. "Right. Six hundred dollar shoes." And her nails are ruined too.

"Put 'em in the wash they'll be grand." Was Natsume's statement, throwing the apple away.

Mikan was in disbelief. What are these, clothes? "Put them in the wash? The wash?" Mikan chuckled sarcastically. "You cannot put these shoes in the wash." When she leaned herself on the hood of the car, it began to roll down. Mikan almost stumbled as she lost contact to the Hornet and now, it's picking up speed.

She then screamed just so Natsume would notice. "Stop it!"

"Oh my God! No! No! What would I do?" She is panicking while trying to catch up to the speeding downhill car, and Natsume runs after her trying to get a grab on it.

The car continued to slide backward off the side of the road, down the embankment…and into a tree. And it crashed! Mikan cannot do anything but scream. Natsume dashed down, hoping to get the car, but was too late. He punched the tree with all his might, and unknown to Mikan it started to bleed.

"No." He muttered under his breath.

Mikan stood at the edge of the road, looking in both directions for someone, anyone, to come and pick her up. Behind her, is a sweaty, red-faced Natsume pushing the Hornet up over the edge of the hill. He finally got it back up on the road, and stood there, panting.

"Fine." He mumbled.

Mikan did not say anything. She just shook her head. Natsume is still catching his breath.

So, they are back in the car.

"If I still had a phone, we could call someone…" She stressed the word phone, which she blames on him because it was fried on his tavern.

Natsume just waved her off, confident.

"Ah, you and your phone. Your phone did not lift this car outta the ditch. Your phone didn't push it up the hill. And your phone won't get it running again. Takes a man to do that." He nodded proudly. Mikan looked less than confident. But he turned the key. And the engine rattled back to life. Natsume looked nearly as surprised as Mikan.

She looked at him, whoa. He held his hands up, see? "Told you she's classic. Older than you but tougher than anything." He smiled and shifted into gear.

And the car dies. Just dies.

Mikan got out of the car, furious. She slammed the door behind her. She stopped around the back of the little car and pulled her luggage out. Natsume groaned and got out of the car. He shouldn't have bragged about it. Now they have to leave the car because had broken down.

"I'm gonna have to charge you extra to get this towed. Plus repairs."

It made Mikan look at him jaw dropped. This man reminds her of her best friend. But Hotaru's different. A good different. "Are you kidding? I'm not giving you another dime, you left the brake off!" She dug into her bag and pulled out a few bills. She shoved them at Natsume. "Here. Forty Euro. Thanks for taking me…what was it? Two miles? There you go." She turned and started walking back up the road.

Natsume watched her walk away. "Where are you going?"

"I'm gonna take my chances with the train to the bus to the frigging train!"

He dug his hands on his pockets and yelled, enough for her to hear. "I wouldn't go walking around on your own, Squid. Never know who might be out there."

"I'll be great as long as it's not you! And my name is Mikan!" She said without turning back to him.

And so, she kept walking.

Mikan is dragging her luggage behind her and she kept walking. Boy she already looks so tired and weary. Her permed brunette hair was almost ruined, her wrinkles started to show up a bit and her legs are going to be shaky sooner.

About twenty feet behind her is Natsume. He is just watching her until Louie got stuck in a little ditch and she struggled to pull it out.

"That looks heavy."

Mikan turned around and gave him a glare. She yanked her bag free and kept walking. She's not so going to talk to him. She is swearing she'll not going to turn or give him a teensy bit glance because he doesn't deserve one.

But a few moments later, she heard him talking.

"Hey, mate. Look, I'm gonna be headed back earlier than I thought. Uh-huh. Yeah…"

She turned around, surprised. She saw him talking with his hand to his ear. He has a phone?!

But Natsume smiled and held his hand up. It's empty. He was just teasing. He laughed derisively. Fuming, Mikan walked to the other side of the road.

Ooooh! She wanted to strangle him and kick him until her heels make him dead.

Later, while she was cursing Natsume inside her mind, Mikan suddenly stopped. There's a fork in the road. When I say fork then it means there are many directions ahead of her and she's not sure which way to go. Natsume is still behind her, across the road.

"Hmmm. Now the question is, was she paying attention when they drove past here? Which way is it? The right? The left?" Natsume teased. He talks as if he's a speaker on some boxing match or a narrator or something.

She looked at him, and then looked back at the two roads.

"What's a squid to do?" It was hilarious.

She doesn't know. And that's when she spots a dark brown haired farmer maybe as old as his father but with eyeglasses, plowing a field just ahead, past the dead end. Somehow, there's still some good that happens to her after horrible occurrences this Irish bartender gives her. She waved and called out to him.

"Hey! Hello!" He doesn't turn, so she walked out into the field to get his attention. "Excuse me?"

Natsume just watched, curious.

Mikan ran through the field trying to wave down the farmer. She tried to keep the balance because her heels were being eaten by the soft soil.

"Hello?!"

She ran right up to him, crossing right past his horse. Suddenly, the horse whinnied loud and the farmer tried to stop it. After the horse had calmed down, Mikan approached him.

"Hi. I'm sorry to bother you but do you know how I can…"

And the farmer just started yelling at her…IN GAELIC. She looked startled and confused. She has no idea what he's saying. But she did something to really piss him off. It's like bits of lightning sparks around him.

"Uh….I'm sorry. I…do you speak English?"

He is still yelling at her while pointing to his horse and shaking his fist at her.

"I'm sorry. I don't know what I did…"

"You crossed the path of his horse." She turned to see Natsume walking up to her and the farmer. "It's bad luck to cross the path of a man's plowhorse." Mikan stared at him.

"You're kidding, right?"

Natsume gestured to the furious farmer. He's not kidding. The farmer is still glaring at Mikan – grumbling under his breath.

"Of course. How could I have been so stupid?! I crossed in front of his horse! I've cursed his land for all eternity!" She tried to keep it together. "Fine. You know what? Could you tell him I'm really, really sorry." She's beaten. "And ask him if he has a phone I could use?"

Natsume started to speak to the farmer in Gaelic. The farmer answered. Then the raven head turned to Mikan. "He doesn't have a phone. And he won't accept your apology. He said you don't seem sincere."

Mikan narrowed her eyes at Natsume. He just shrugged.

"Could you assure him that I am…" she now gave the farmer a pleading pair of brown orbs. "…very sincere and then ask him if he knows how to get from here to Dublin."

Natsume's eyes twitched. "How is that different from asking me?"

Mikan rolled her eyes. "Just ask him."

The farmer perked up. "Dublin?" He said.

They turned. The farmer then asked Natsume a question in Gaelic. Natsume turned back to Mikan.

"He wanted to know why you wanted to go to Dublin."

Mikan looked at the farmer. She tried to muster a sweet smile. "Go ahead. Tell him."

Natsume shrugged her shoulders and chuckled before he started talking again to the farmer in Gaelic. It took a short while when he finished explaining. The farmer looked at Mikan and then suddenly he burst out laughing. Natsume laughed too.

"Right? Thanks." Yes, she knew it. The farmer finds her plans ridiculous too. Do they even know what is the difference between romantic and ridiculous? Preposterous!

The farmer pointed at her and said something demeaning and laughed some more. Natsume is very happy to join right in because he connects to the farmer.

Mikan sighed, fed up. She just wanted to groan, sit in the soil, whine and cry. But she's a strong and smart girl. She's gonna overcome this. She'll get to Dublin and she'll propose to Eyouhan. She's not going to give up all of these.

And that's when she saw a brown van approaching the fork in the road. The Lord is still good to her. She quickly waved at the van and ran back to the road.

"Hey! Hey!" She ended up flagging down the van and it rolls to stop then backs up a bit. "Hey! Thank you! Thanks for stopping."

The driver of the van is a decent looking guy in his late twenties. He had chocolate brown hair, slightly darker than Mikan and his eyes were covered with a pair of sunglasses. He had earrings at his left ear. He's wearing an Irish football jersey that reads: COBH RAMBLERS.

"I'm trying to get to…"

The guy offered his hand out to the window and muttered, "Rei."

Mikan smiled. "Hi, Rei. My name is Mikan. I'm trying to get to Dublin –…"

"Dublin? You're a long way from Dublin, sweetie!" Said Rei.

"I know. Is there any chance you're headed towards a train station or a bus station?" Mikan asked.

"Train station's up ahead a few miles. Want I should drop you?"

Mikan felt grateful about the idea. She did not even need to ask. "Really? It's not too much trouble?"

"Well, mind you, I can't stop. I'm gonna need you to jump out as I drive past…"

"Oh. I'm not sure I can…"

"Ahh. Hop in! Of course I can make a stop. What kind of person would I be if I couldn't afford a stranger a little kindness?"

Mikan is very relieved. The driver helped her up.

Natsume, who is watching from afar, looked very serious and glaring heavily to them. "I wouldn't get in that van if I were you." But Mikan just ignored him. She just gave him a mocking **'Duh. As if I would listen to you. Not a chance.'**

So, he walked up to the van. "I'm not joking."

"Really? What's the problem? Is it bad luck to get into a brown van on a Saturday?" She sarcastically said, with a hint of fury and irritation.

"No. That bloke's a Rambler fan. He can't be trusted." He pointed to the driver's jersey. Mikan rolled her eyes and she got in the van. He's just bluffing because he still wanted his money. She knows he's not going to give up also now that he lost his car. Even though she pitied her about 2 percent, this is her time to make revenge. After all those unfortunate things that she suffered because of him?

And to those times that he felt like he's king because he knows she needed to get to Dublin badly and he's the only person that could help her back at Dingle? Ha! Who's the loser now? She's leaving him. They're done with each other. She can't stay even a second with his presence.

The driver scoffed at Natsume and gave him an evil grin after Mikan slammed the van's door closed. Natsume gritted his teeth at him while keeping his fists inside his pocket. The driver laughed and pulled away.

He and the farmer watched the van putter away. Natsume stood there, now he's on his own. The farmer shook his head and patted his horse.

"Poor lassie." The farmer muttered.

**Ha! What a nice throw of insults they got there! It's just so entertaining. Squid's really hilarious, don't you think? Don't worry guys, there'll be a time when he'll call her Polka Dots. Just be patient! Oh, I'm getting excited! I just love this story. It's humorous. Ha ha! Do you think the same too? Or I am just being paranoid here, getting oodly thrilled by my own?**

**But, uh-oh. What will happen to Mikan now she'd finally decided to get rid of Natsume? What if Natsume is being real serious? What is he's being caring there? What if Rei is bad news? Or what if it is the other way around? What is he is only after her money? And Rei's the one who will finally take her to her destination? Nah, tune right in and you'll know.**

**And just as I said, I'll now mention those magnificent followers and fantastic alertees as of Chapter three had been posted. **

**Thanks for following:**

**AnimeMango**

**Bloodyravenheart13**

**Cute Tangerine204**

**K-chan's Kisses**

**Mirai-Crescent**

**Moroko**

**MyGuiltyPleasure585**

**Roxii Like A Puma**

**Syao Blossoms**

**Csiheartreading**

**Dongnghi**

**Kisekinosedai**

**mcbusted**

**mg1999**

**not-a-random-girl**

**sapphirez4178**

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**Thanks for favoriting: (As if that word really exists)**

**Cute Tangerine204**

**K-chan's kisses**

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**dongnghi**

**kisekinosedai**

**mcbusted**

**And to those who reviewed and keeps on reviewing! You're really groovy, people! Splendid. Just grand.**

**StarElsie – I'll really give you an award for always reviewing first. Ha ha!**

**MyGuiltyOleasure585 – Yay! Here's a new chapie!**

**K-chan's Kisses – Oh forgiveme for asking you that. Don't say your username is lame. It's a very cute username, really. And don't lose hope, it'll happen soon. Kay? Oh, I love Natsume being an Irish too.**

**Cute Tangerine204 – Ha! I was waiting for someone to say about that Koko and Tsubasa! Natsume is an Irish here, but I'm still decided if I'll make him half or whole. Gotta decide on that.**

**cc – Great! Thanks for reviewing.**

**I'll look forward for more supporters. Author very appreciative and obliged here.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Sixty Seconds**

A **Gakuen Alice Fan fiction** Partnered by **Universal Pictures and Spyglass Entertainment's Leap Year**

**Disclaimer:** I totally disclaim Gakuen Alice. There is nothing here that I own, neither the plot. But I do own the idea of merging Gakuen Alice's main protagonists Mikan Sakura and Natsume Hyuuga and Leap Year's story line. **I repeat – I do not own Gakuen Alice and Leap Year.**

**Author's Note: **If the site sees that I have broken a policy upon posting this story, then I don't have anything to object to. However, I just wanted to share this wonderful story to everyone with Mikan and Natsume being the protagonists. So if ever this story is deleted or blocked by the site, then it means that you guys cannot read this anymore. But if not, I hope you'll enjoy :).

Mikan is currently at the brown van while having a nice chat with Rei, the driver. She finds her very friendly, aside from taking her away from that Irish bearded flame eyed man, because even if she a stranger he still helped her.

"Dublin, eh? It's beautiful city. Best restaurants in the country. And great nightlife too…" Rei muttered, steering the wheels.

"Yeah? Well that's good to hear. I think I've been misinformed by someone not quite as sophisticated." She remembered as Natsume told her terrible things about the place. "Thanks again for taking me to the train."

The driver nodded. Mikan is just sitting back in her seat, happy to be on her way. Then suddenly, Rei laughed as if he remembered something. It caught Mikan's attention.

"Last time I was in Dublin me and my mates got langered! I mean, positively mangled." Mikan just smiled and nodded. Okay. "Remember that, boys? When we got so locked in Dublin we gawked all over the bloody street!" He's looking in the rear view mirror.

Boys?

The brunette turned around, very surprised to find two **large guys** in the darkened, windowless back of the cargo van. She gulped. "Oh! I didn't realize anyone was back there. Hi…"

The guys just stared at her. They don't look nearly as nice as the driver. They also have on rambler shirts, but one has his face painted and is missing a few teeth and has blonde strawberry hair that does not suit him much. The other one had a mask with pitch black hair, with a nasty neck tattoo. He had numerous jewelries on his left hand and he looked so dangerous and…deadly. They are real soccer hooligans. They are both drinking from whiskey bottles.

"These are my mates. Luno and Persona." Rei introduced.

Mikan nodded and managed a tight smile.

"Persona. Right." She chuckled.

He growled. Oh shit…She quickly turned back to the driver.

"We're on our way to a match. Getting' millied up to kick some hoolie arse!"

They all let out a whoop of a battle cry. Then they burst into a rowdy menacing football chant that goes like this: "We hate Shamrock Rovers! We hate Dundlak too – They're shite! We hate Cork City but Ramblers we love you! Oi! Oi! Oi! Oi!"

It ended with a scary fascist salute. Mikan is beginning to get a little freaked out. "Are we, uh…almost there?" She asked instead.

"Ah, what's the hurry, lassie? Don't be in such a rush. We're a good time. We could have a nice little party, the four of us." Said Rei, having an evil grin plastered on his face.

This is getting uncomfortable. The hooligans have inched closer to the front. They are staring at her with piercing eyes, eyes that tells her they're planning something with her…BAD.

"Yyeahh. You know it's such a nice day out. I think I might rather walk…" scared, Mikan tried to calm herself down. If she'll freak out, then she'd just give them a go signal to execute their whatsoever plan they have for her.

Rei chuckled. "C'mon, lassie. We ain't gonna bite. Especially not Luno, he ain't got enough teeth!" They laughed. This is really getting ugly. Rei suddenly pulled the van off the main road. It slowed to a stop.

"I can get out here. That's…That's great…" Mikan stuttered, starting to sweat.

"Wait. Slow down. We can chill here for a few minutes. We'll have a few laughs. Maybe a quick snog…" Rei uttered.

"Okay! Great meeting you guys. I'm gonna get going now…" Mikan scrambled to unlock the door and reached for the handle. But Rei stopped her and pulled her away from the door.

Mikan is panicking right now. There is this real fear that can be hinted in her eyes. And not soon from now she'll going to cry, no matter how embarrassing it was for an adult and prideful lady like her. She clamped her hands together and shouted for help, and a name got out from her mouth.

And it was like her prayer was answered when he saw black and red.

"Natsume!"

Suddenly, the driver got pulled right out of his door. He is punched hard across the jaw and a tooth got loose and it was sent bleeding in the air by none other than Natsume Hyuuga.

The tears in Mikan's eyes poured pass her cheeks, and it was no longer because of fear. She was totally relieved to see him. But before she can say anything, the hooligans came charging out of the van. Each of them doubled the size of Natsume. But that did not scare him.

Rei wiped his bleeding mouth with his arm and was the last to get out of the car. As soon as he yelled, the fight had begun.

Luno and Persona both tackled Natsume, pulling him off Rei when he went to him fast and started punching him of his face. Then when they successfully pulled him, they sent Natsume to the ground and began kicking him.

"You should mind your own business, mucker!" Rei furiously shouted at him.

The spectacled farmer climbed out of his rusty little pickup and yelled at the hooligans in Gaelic. Luno just scoffed. "Aw, look! He brought an old froggy with him!"

Mikan is still inside the van. "He had a truck!?" She said disbelievingly.

Natsume twisted Rei's leg, causing him to drop in pain. "Crawl back to your bog, you tosser!" Natsume shouted at Rei. He hopped up but Persona grabbed him and slammed him into the side of the van. Mikan yelped at this. She scrambled out of the van.

Rei, being left by Natsume who's now twisting Persona's arm, went to the farmer. But then the farmer pulled out a pitch fork and warned him to back off. Rei laughed at him and grabbed the pitchfork right out of his hands and broke the handle over his knee.

Meanwhile, Natsume is currently spinning Luno around and punching him in the gut. He dropped him with an uppercut. Knocked out! Then he turned to see Rei who is about to swing at the old farmer. He ran to him but before he can get there, Mikan raced over and swung her suitcase at Rei's head.

She connects!

Rei wailed and caught his head. He turned to Mikan, really pissed. "Oh, I wasn't done with you!" He raised his hand to hit her, "AAAHHHH!" Mikan winced, but Natsume is already there. He whacked him in the back of his head with the broken pitchfork handle.

Rei was knocked out. I mean, whacked out.

Mikan dropped her suitcase and scurried to Natsume, jumped to him for a hug. Natsume just stayed expressionless despite this awkward action of hers. "Oh my God. Thank you so much!" She broke the hug and faced the farmer. "Both of you! Uhm…" She gave him a look that is asking for a name.

"Jinno." The farmer bitterly muttered while glaring at her. Then, she yelled at her in Gaelic again. Mikan backed off, doesn't know what she did this time.

"He says you owe him a pitchfork." Natsume grumbled.

Mikan giggled nervously. "O-Of course. I do."

Jinno's rusty pickup truck drove away, leaving the beaten hooligans in the dust. Mikan and Natsume sat on the front bench seat with the farmer. The raven head wipes some blood leaking from his lip, while Mikan is watching him silently, guilty and still very much in shock. If she had just listened…

But still! If he just tried to be nice to her, none of this would've happened. Mikan sighed. Enough of this. No one blames her so she doesn't have to blame him either.

"Thank you for following me." She muttered softly and sincerely. Her eyes welled up, and she quickly wiped a tear away. She was truly gratified.

Natsume can't help but notice this and he looked uncomfortable with her acting like this.

"I didn't show up for you. I just couldn't pass up a chance to kick some Rambler arse…I've been dreaming of doing so." Natsume rebuffed. No way in hell he would admit it was just his conscience. Ha! "And it was Louie who got them, thank him instead." He patted the suitcase beside their knees.

Mikan giggled.

With that, he shifted his sight to the road, past miles of lush, green, rolling hills.

The truck had stopped at a tiny railway station in the middle of the countryside. It's a simple rural station, just a raised platform and shelter, and not much else to see. Mikan and Natsume finally went out of the truck and thanked the farmer Jinno for all the things he had done. Mikan said he had a great heart despite of his strict and loud mouth, and handed him some bills for his new pitchfork. Jinno scoffed and went away, leaving Mikan, Natsume and the suitcase at the ticket booth.

The brunette pulled her suitcase, energy drained from all the obnoxious incidents that had happened in just a span of five hours.

They headed for the ticket booth.

Inside, there's an old station master. He was blonde, mane up to his shoulders. He got charming amethyst eyes and must have been in the age as her deceased mother. He is wearing a cute painter hat above his head. He kinda looked friendly and she supposed that looks will not fool her this time. Mikan walked to the counter where the station master could be found, and she noticed a little sign on the window that reads: NARUMI L. ANJU, STATION MASTER.

"Uhm. Hi, Mister Anju. I'd like to get on the next train to Dublin, please." She politely said.

Narumi twirled like a jolly ballerina. "That is twenty seven Euro, Miss pretty."

Mikan tried to smile and handed him the cash while Natsume, arms crossed at her back, watched her hands. They are trembling. She must have gotten a trauma after what happened earlier. It maybe her first time. With the way she cried when she saw them, and with the way she hugged him, he could say she really was thankful to see them.

"The next train departs in..." Narumi looked at a book, feeling a bit worried with her trembling hands that he also noticed. "…two hours and forty three minutes." Then he smiled at her, trying to give her a look that says **worry not.**

"Thank you." Mikan said, smiling back and appreciating the concern. Then she walked away and sat on a nearby bench, outside the ticket booth facing a wide area and picturesque view of a vaguely broken structure.

Natsume remained at the kiosk and he saw her wrapped herself with her arms, must be feeling cold.

"When's Killarney?" Natsume asked to Narumi.

"Just missed it. Next is eighteen hundred." Then Narumi leaned closer to him. "Had a lover's quarrel?"

"Sort of." Natsume nonchalantly replied and walked over to the bench. And after a brief consideration, he decided to sit beside Mikan. There was an awkward silence. Especially to her side, of course. Maybe, or perhaps he'd like to say something kind, something comforting. But he is not a pretty talking guy. So what came out from his mouth was:

"Ballycarbey." He muttered.

Mikan confusingly turned her head to her. "What?"

Natsume did not look at her and instead looked up. "Ballycarbey Castle. Up there." He pointed at it. On a not-too-distant hillside, there was a slightly ruined structure – a castle. It was the only other building around for miles. "Do you want to see it?"

Mikan lowered her head. "Uhm, no thanks." She doesn't feel her feet and she was exhausted from physical, emotional and even mental.

"You sure? It's grand. And the view…" he whistled. "…it's not like you're ever gonna be out this way again. You should see a real Irish castle. I'll take you up."

Mikan realized he's finally trying to be nice.

"I uh, I don't want to miss my train." She muttered.

"It's a twenty minute walk, you've got near three hours."

Mikan looked at the castle. She tried to resist. "I don't know. What about my bags?"

Narumi is now standing by his office with Mikan's bags.

"You're sure I won't miss the train?" Mikan looked worried.

Narumi chuckled. "Ma'am, one of the privileges of being a station master is that no train leaves this station til I say so." He looked at the distant castle and smiled. "Ballycarbey's grand. You should see it."

"It is grand." Natsume commented.

Maybe it really was beautiful, because they insisted so.

"Okay." Mikan said as she looked at her watch and then to Natsume.

While they are hiking up the beautiful hillside – the sun is shining and air is clear – Mikan took a deep breath.

"This is nice. Thank you." He said to his back, because he leads the way.

He just nodded. A few minutes before he spoke.

"Sorry you won't make it to Dublin before the shops close."

"I think you think I'm some kind of shopaholic. I have other interests you know. I do things, I have a job." She stressed the last word.

Natsume perked up. "Doing what?"

"I stage houses. Apartments, actually. I stage apartments."

Natsume just moaned.

After a couple more steps…

"What is that, exactly?"

"Well, when somebody is trying to sell an apartment, they hire me to make it look as good as possible. I bring in new furniture, art, plants, everything. I completely 'stage' it so it looks perfect to a prospective buyer." She explained, feeling a bit secured now.

"Ah. Okay. And then if they buy it they get to keep all the stuff." Natsume concluded.

But he's wrong. "Well, no. Actually, they just get the apartment…"

"The empty flat?" he asked while frowning. "I don't get it."

Mikan sighed. "I'm showing them what it could look like."

Natsume's forehead creased. "But…it won't." It won't right? It won't look like that if they don't get the stuff too. How could that be beautiful if in the end it will still be empty?

Mikan's voice strengthened. "But it could." And it could. Showing them the potential beauty of the apartment even if they don't get the stuff still gives them the idea that they could be as beautiful as that. Like she is to convince them that the apartment **could **be picturesque.

Now he's getting it. "Ohhh. So you dress up crap flats to fool people into buying 'em." He looked so proud of himself for having a final understanding. "Nice job, Squid."

"Ugh! No, I'm not fooling…They're very nice apartments."

Natsume turned to her with a complete poker face. "So why do they need you?"

Mikan stopped walking. How can she get him to understand? She sighed. She didn't know he could be this dope too.

"I'm presenting possibilities. The possibility of a better place to live? Better things. A better life." She said.

This made Natsume scoff.

"So you put in a whole bunch of stuff that people don't need to trick them into buying a place that they don't even need." He said.

"They wouldn't be looking for a new place if they didn't…" Mikan got frustrated. "You know what? Who are you to say what people need and don't need?" She hoofed on ahead, he's being nonsense and annoying. Natsume just followed.

"What if your flat was on fire?" Natsume means that the ground that she's standing on is burning…like for example a building that she's staying at suddenly caught fire.

"What?" Mikan turned to him, not picking up his question.

"What if your flat was on fire, and you had…sixty seconds to grab only the most important things, what would you take?" Mikan doesn't know how to respond. She's rendered speechless with the question.

"Well, I'd take…" She can't come up with anything.

"Come on. Will it be the Chihuahua, on your doorway?"

Mikan just huffed. "I'm not playing this game with you." Whatever, she kept on walking.

"There you go." Natsume said, taking her silence as her answer. She doesn't really know what's the most important since she had spent her life being rich. All the things she had might be important to her, knowing she's that kind of a girl…he suppose.

She turned to her, walking criss-cross. "Then what would you take?" Natsume just looked at her and walked past her. "What would you take?! I-If your lovely inn was on fire? What are you gonna take? Y-You know, flames crawling up the stairs? You got sixty seconds?" He still doesn't answer, just grinning at her like a fool. "T-The the bottles of alcohol in your cupboard are exploding. What would you grab?"

"Like I'll tell you."

Then he went straight on, grinning widely.

Mikan shrugged and smiled. Dope.

00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Mikan finally crested the top of the ridge…and sitting all alone atop the hill are the abandoned ruins of a 16th century castle. Some walls have crumbled and sections are overgrown with ivy and moss and grass…but it's stunning. And just beyond the castle are cliffs that overlook the sparkling sea.

She stopped and took it all in. It's truly breathtaking.

"It's really…a castle!"

"Told ya."

Natsume stared out at the view and doesn't cracked a smile.

"Okay." Mikan nodded, looking around and then noticed a bronze plaque by the entrance. "Who are….Dee-ar-mewed and Grayne? Granay."

"Diarmuid and Grainne." It's pronounced Deer-mid and Graw-nya. "The legend. How have you never heard it?" Natsume growled.

Mikan looked at him. "Because I'm not from Ireland?"

Natsume nodded. "All right Squid, all right…"

Then they entered into the interior courtyard.

"Okay, so hundreds of years ago the whole of Ireland was ruled by bands of warriors. Real hard asses, right? Not like those sissy knights in King Arthur. Anyway, there was this beautiful young woman, Grainne, who had been promised in marriage to an old war lord named Fionn…"

They passed under an arch that is centuries old. Natsume continued. Mikan listened.

"But Grainne didn't love Fionn, I mean he was a real fart – older than her father, and on the night of their big betrothal feast, she met another warrior, Diarmuid. He was young and handsome and…you can see where this is going…So Grainne slipped a sleeping potion in the guests' drinks and convinced Diarmuid to run off with her. And they crossed the River of Shannon together."

They headed towards a winding, moss covered staircase. Natsume continued. Mikan is listening, while smiling, finding the story romantic.

"When old Fionn woke up he went mental…sent his entire army off to hunt them down. But the common folk took pity and helped the young lovers hide in farmhouses and forests and even castles. There are spots all over the Ireland where it's said they once rested for the night…"

Natsume turned, Mikan's still at the bottom of the staircase.

"Are you coming or what?"

Mikan looked up to him. "Is it safe?"

Natsume held his hands out. He's up there and fine. That convinced Mikan that it's safe so she started up.

"Anyway, rest was all they did. See, Diarmuid felt guilty about betraying Fionn, and out of respect for him refused to be intimate with Grainne…."

They both emerged at the top of the castle. The view is even more breathtaking up there. Mikan can't help but gasp.

"…Until they came here. To this castle and this very same view. And unable to resist such beauty, it's said this is the place where they finally consummated their love." Natsume ended the story.

The wind blowed at Mikan's hair. She looked up at Natsume for a beat. Then he looked back at her…

"Oh my God." Mikan gasped, realizing something. "You're hitting on me."

Natsume's jaw almost dropped. "What?"

"So what, so I'm the young woman on the "eve of her engagement" who just "can't resist the handsome stranger" and runs away with him? You didn't honestly think that would work. Honestly, I'm embarrassed for you."

Natsume laughed. It was a laugh that could choke his breathing.

"Don't flatter yourself, Squid. The story's true, but it sure a shit it's ain't about you." He looked at her and laughed again at the absurdity of the thought. Mikan looked annoyed. So she surely thought that he had thought he's hitting at her?

And so if she did, then that means she meant what she said about him being the "irresistible handsome stranger"? He could laugh until he dies. That's just cliché.

Mikan pouted then asked, "Then who's it about?"

Natsume didn't answer as his face turned stoic again. And that's when they heard the sound of a train whistle. Far away, but unmistakable. Mikan hurried to the other side of the turret where way down in the valley, she can see the train chugging into the little station.

She began to panic. "No. No! The train!" She looked at Natsume. "The train!"

She took off running down the stairs. Natsume saw the train and chased after Mikan.

Thunder started clapping, Mikan ran as fast as she could from the castle to the station. The wind started to blow fast too. The clouds are gathering quickly. Still, Natsume chases after her.

"We're never gonna make it!" She yelled and nonstop running down the hill.

"Relax! You'll make it!" Natsume shouted from behind. She's being paranoid.

"Hey! Wait!" Mikan called out in futility. She kept running, waving at the far away station.

And then it started to rain. HARD.

"Oh great! Of course..." She yelled to Natsume, imitating him earlier when he's convincing her to go to the castle. "You had to take me up there! Oh, the castle, it's grand! Sheesh!" Her dress is getting soaked with the rain water. And her heels are burying into the ground each step.

"I was just trying to be nice!" Natsume replied, trying not to trip in the slippery path.

"Wow! Remind me to thank you for making me miss my – whoa!" she lost her footing. "AAAHHHHH!" and slipped. She went tumbling down the hillside, which is quickly growing slick and muddy.

"That's one way to get there." Natsume stopped and watched her tumble for a second, stopping himself to guffaw. "Hey! Slow down! Squid!" And he ran after her, and unfortunately….he slipped too.

Now they're both tumbling and sliding down the muddy hillside. Mikan is screaming while Natsume is laughing.

Finally, they both bounce with a splash into the base of the hill. Mikan rolled to a soggy stop. Natsume is right beside her. He helped her to her feet and wiped the mud off his face.

"Brilliant! We made it down in half the time." Natsume said.

Mikan looked at herself, completely covered in mud and still getting drenched from the rain. Natsume seems to be enjoying this.

She just shouted at him. "AAAAAAUGH!" And she took off running for the station. She ran full speed towards the platform. "I'm coming! I'm coming! Wait!" And she heard the brakes release on the train. CHSHHHHH!

"NOOOOOOOO!"

And slowly the wheels started to run.

"WAIT!"

Quickly, the train moved along, right on out of the station. Mikan reached the stairs and ran up to the platform, to see the train chugging away down the track.

"NOOOOOOOO!"

But it's gone. She saw Narumi, waving to some heads out of the windows of the train. She went to him, stomping her heels to the platform thus creating loud thuds.

"You said you could make them wait!"She shouted at her.

Narumi went running behind a post, chuckling nervously. "I did! But I couldn't hold 'em forever! How was I supposed to now you were even comin' back?"

Mikan's face reddened up and her ears puffing out train smoke. "You have my bags!"

Mikan can't handle this. She is soaked and exhausted.

Natsume finally made it up to the platform. "That's the last train today?" He asked, panting.

Narumi nervously nodded. Indeed. Then they heard a sound. Like a rusty squeak. They turned and Mikan had her mouth opened, about to cry, but the only sound coming out is the squeaking.

Both guys stared at her, not sure what to do. Right. When he did something awful she was mad. When he tried to do something nice she cried. What in the hell will he do?

Then she burst into tears. Bawling. This has been a long time coming. The men are even more uncomfortable. They both feel guilty.

Narumi looked at Natsume and mentally said "_Do something_."

Natsume glared at Narumi and mentally said "_You do something."_

Narumi sighed, defeated.

**Hey! I'm back! Sorry if it took quite a long time before posting an update. Third year of college had been very busy and plus for those two days I've been sick... But I'm fine now, thank you. So! Thank you very much to those additional followers and alertees! Here they are.**

**Followers: XxNever-Have-I-EverxX and Maximum Immortality**

**Alertee: AnimeMango**

**And to those who reviewed and keeps on reviewing! You're really groovy, people! Splendid. Just grand. Specially to K-chan's kisses! **

**I'll look forward for more supporters. Author very appreciative and obliged here.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Sixty Seconds**

A **Gakuen Alice Fan fiction** Partnered by **Universal Pictures and Spyglass Entertainment's Leap Year**

**Disclaimer:** I totally disclaim Gakuen Alice. There is nothing here that I own, neither the plot. But I do own the idea of merging Gakuen Alice's main protagonists Mikan Sakura and Natsume Hyuuga and Leap Year's story line. **I repeat – I do not own Gakuen Alice and Leap Year.**

**Author's Note: **If the site sees that I have broken a policy upon posting this story, then I don't have anything to object to. However, I just wanted to share this wonderful story to everyone with Mikan and Natsume being the protagonists. So if ever this story is deleted or blocked by the site, then it means that you guys cannot read this anymore. But if not, I hope you'll enjoy :).

Narumi looked at Natsume and mentally said "_Do something_."

Natsume glared at Narumi and mentally said "_You do something."_

Narumi sighed, defeated.

He walked towards the sobbing brunette that is covered in mud and bent down to her. "Now, now, dear. We'll get you to Dublin." Narumi tried to comfort her, words are the only way to calm her since the trains are all gone for the day.

But Mikan is still crying.

"Tell you what." Narumi smiled at her. "Me and my wife have a nice little B&B up the road. You can stay with us until the next train in the morning. How does that sound?"

Mikan just kept crying. Both the guys just stood there, hoping she'll stop eventually. Natsume was really and fully irritated with her crying voice but he can't really do anything about it coz' he knew how horrific things had been to her.

In just a night and a day she has experienced the worst things life could give to anyone. And based on her looks she had not been prepared and ready for anything that have happened. She must really be a woman who had a silver spoon on her mouth for her to see these minor things for Natsume major. But still, if he would put his feet into her shoes, he can't blame her for this. It's not her fault being born and grown up that way.

Natsume sighed. What's happening? Does she have a bad luck mark on her butt?

Since she stepped her foot out of Japan, dreadful things kept happening to her and Mikan doesn't have a clue why. Was this because of the black cat that they saw this early morning? Do lucks and bad lucks really exist? She could almost believe. And she swears that she's never going back to Ireland after all of this.

So, at the end of the day, Narumi finally walked Mikan and Natsume down the road and in the distant view a farmhouse can be seen. A few walks later in the rain they reached the hallway where Natsume's head nearly scraped the ceiling. Hard to be a tall guy, huh.

"Come in, come in." Narumi cheerfully said, welcoming them into their home as he put his painter hat in a rack and opened the door for his visitors. Mikan went on ahead of Natsume and then a small but nice living room greeted them with a fine fireplace that warmed up the place.

A lady with long black hair elegantly clipped and wearing a night gown gave them a smile while wiping her hands dry. She is Narumi's wife, Himemiya Anju or Hii for short. They shared a light kiss. Sweet.

"Oh, my poor dears." Hii said. "You're very lucky, you two. Just half an hour ago I had two backpackers at the door number one." Then Hii grimaced and looked at Narumi. "But they weren't married." Narumi frowned with this. "They admitted it right out, no shame. So I sent them packing. Rishe is rishe. Rain or no rain." They both nodded at each other and then looked at Mikan and Natsume, who by the moment was confused and became nervous. Unmarried couple could not stay. That's it. They got it. "So, it's Mr. and Mrs.?"

They both said their surnames in unison, resulting to a babble of words. Hii begged for their pardon.

"Yukigaraha" Mikan stuttered.

Hii looked like she doesn't believe this.

"I mean, Hyuukigahira." Mikan said turning to Natsume and chuckling. Natsume chuckled too.

"Yes. We're not long married and she's still not used to it since it was kind of a tongue twister. I came from a long line from Dingle of Hyuukigahiras." He said almost twisted but assuring. Hii nodded, still looking unconvinced. "Someday, we hope to have a son, so we can keep that long line of our unique surname."

Hii and Narumi looked at each other and found this sweet. Completely convinced, Hii giggled at them. "Awwww."

"Mikan." The brunette said with a wide smile and put her arm around Natsume. "And Natsume, to you."

"Lovely!" Hii cheered. "Now, let's go get you to your room." And then she went up to the stairs.

"Thank you." Mikan muttered, relieved.

"After you, ketchup." Natsume said, as an endearment.

Mikan glanced at Natsume. "Thank you, sunshine." And went on ahead with her suitcase.

"Would you like me to give you a hand at the bag, pumpkin?" Natsume said, being a gentleman "husband".

Natsume promised to have a laugh at this later.

The room is about half the size of the tiny one at The Akura. The door opens into the bed, which is the only furniture in the room save for a tiny table wedged in the corner, the sole purpose of which is to hold a bible. Oh, and there's a small bathroom too.

"Tea's downstairs in ten." After that, Hii closed the door and when she exited, Mikan rolled her eyes away at Natsume.

"You absolutely will not sleep in that bed with me, Mr. Hyuukigahira." Mikan declared.

"Maybe you mean you absolutely will not sleep in the bed with me." Natsume argued, against with her assertion.

"Very gallant." Mikan commented and put her hands on her waist.

Natsume encircled the bed, smirking. "Gallant? I'm not. That's life. Live with it." Then he jumped to the bed. "Darling." He said so sweet to mock her. Then he cuddled himself in the small but soft bed. "Hmm. Comfy."

Mikan lifted her brows. "We'll flip for it." Then she went to her ruined suede bag to get a coin from her purse. "Darling." She said for payback.

Natsume went off the bed and went to Mikan.

"Heads you win, tails I lose." Natsume mumbled rapidly. She tossed the coin and received a head. Mikan looked confused because she did not understood what Natsume said earlier and now she does not know who won. That's why he took the chance and claimed he's the winner. "So, head it is. Shame." He grinned widely and shooed her. "You can sleep…" Natsume jumped into the bed and cuddled himself again. "…in the bath."

Mikan, could not believe she lost, went towards the bathroom and shove the plastic curtain that serves as its door. Only to find out that, "It's a shower." She informed him.

So? "Then you can sleep in the shower."

"Okay, fine." Mikan went inside the shower. "As long as I don't need to go anywhere near you." Then she harshly spread the plastic shower curtain and decided to take a shower since it's a shower.

Mikan took off all her clothes that she smelled earlier and almost threw up because of the horrible smell with the combination of cow poo, mud and self-stench. After that she went to the shower and turned it on, oh good heavens it works normal.

Okay, down and down the smell goes off. Wash here, wash there. Take away the stench with the soap. Put shampoo on your hair and bubble, bubble. While washing herself, Mikan had thought of the toss coin earlier. What was it again?

Meanwhile, as Mikan is taking her shower, he himself is wearing off his shoes. He continued to hear the rustle of running water that is making him want to go there too and clean himself, since he is also smell horrible. He only used the rain to clean his clothes and face. His hair still got those small bits of dirt and it's getting itchy. He stared to the curtain door until an almost clear shadow of a woman registered in his eyes.

It is Mikan.

Her figure is…is…it made him gulp. He could see her slender figure, how big her…her…her breasts were, her butt until her legs. He can't help but stare and he's losing control. _Turn away, Natsume. Turn away. _Until she began to sing a lively tune, "Okay, down and down the smell goes off. Wash here, wash there. Take away the stench with the soap. Put shampoo on your hair and bubble, bubble. Oh shower, hot water." And dances while singing.

It made Natsume grin. Cute.

"Wait a minute." Mikan said, sending him to get panicky and he pretended he's asleep.

The brunette went out off the shower with a towel covering her body and hair. "You lying, deceiving son of a…" She went directly to the sleeping figure of Natsume and spanked him. "Get up." He doesn't budge. So she pulled his feet and said, "Get up!"

He opened his eyes slowly and yawned, as if he fell into a real nap. "Wh-What?!"

"Heads you win, tails I lose." Then he stared at him.

Natsume stretched his arms and smirked. "Oh, you finally got that huh. Good for you." He said.

That only verified that she was the one who won the coin toss and that she has the right to sleep in it for the night. With that, Mikan's face shone and she began pulling him out of the small bed. "Get out. Get out. This is my bed." She said, happy. "Liars forfeit." She turned to Natsume, whose expression is empty while watching her celebrate.

She then lifted her brow at him, he standing proud there, and sniffed him. Mikan frowned with the stench she just snuffled. "Take a shower. You smell."

Natsume lifted his brows too and decided to taunt her back. "I can see you through the curtain."

She scoffed at him, not believing. He's only saying that to mock her for mocking him earlier. "Can you?" But since she told him a fact, he too did the same. She sensed this when he gave her a teasing smile. So her facial expression went serious and she now looks irate. "Can you?!"

He just nodded, which made her aim at him. But before that, he scampered to the shower with hands in the air while saying "Okay, liars forfeit! Liars forfeit!" Mikan just stared at him while he made his way to there.

Natsume gripped the curtain and before he shut it close, he smirked and said, "No peeking."

"Urghhhhh!" Mikan growled.

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Mikan, cleaned up now, is in the living room having tea with Narumi and Hii. The place is cluttered in a homey way, and a fire roars in the fireplace. There are few modern touches, such as the large flatscreen TV on which Narumi is watching a theater play.

As she fixed her tea, Mikan looked up at the wall, covered in oil portraits.

"I like your portraits." Mikan said, pleased.

Hii looked to her. "Oh, we've got loads."

"Yes! Very! My grandfather bought this property at auction, and the barn was full of these paintings. We don't have enough walls to hang them all." Narumi chuckled.

"Seriously? They must be really old…Have you had them appraised?" The brunette asked lightly.

Narumi's forehead creased. "What do you mean?"

"Have an art expert come out and see what they're worth." Mikan said.

"What for?" Narumi asked confusingly.

"To…see what they're worth." She answered.

Hii tried to explain it to her husband. "I think what she's trying to say, darling, is why does it matter what they're worth? We just like to look at them."

Mikan nodded. Of course.

"So what brings you and your husband this way?" Hii turned to her.

Mikan is stomped for an answer.

"We're headed to Dublin for an engagement party. Friends of Mikan's." Natsume went to her rescue, and now is heading to them, clean and he actually has shaved. Mikan'ss hazel orbs were pinned at him. He just looks…handsome tonight.

"Well isn't that nice?" Hii muttered.

Mikan is still gazing at Natsume. "Yes. Yes it is."

"Well, I suppose the Italians will be back from their ride soon. I'll start supper." The long haired woman in her fifties stood up.

Narumi became cheerful. "Tonight's menu is sour tripe with dressing and fresh blood pudding!"

Mikan could not help but swallow. What are those things he just had blurted out? Are those foods? Even edible?

"Ooh, and I got some fine jellied eel at the shop this morning." Hii looked very pleased.

Wha? What? Eel? All of a sudden, she started to look a little green. However, Natsume saw this. So, to save her from embarrassing herself later at supper, he talked.

"You know, Mrs. Anju, I'm actually a cook myself. Since we're crashing in on you at the last minute…"

This caught Hii's attention as she turned around, her hair swayed in the process. Narumi wanted to kiss her badly. She looked stunning just that moment. "You want to cook dinner? How about that, Naru? A man who wants to cook dinner! What do you know?" She looked very interested.

Naru's face darkened. He definitely knew what his wife means. Well, he does not cook and he argues that men can't cook. But still, he wants to kiss her.

Natsume noticed this, must've offended the old man. "Sorry, not trying to make you look bad, Sir. Mikan? Darlin'?"

Mikan looked at him. What? Her?

"It's very kind of you two." Hii said.

Mikan snapped. What is with her? She is spacing out. "Ugh, sure. We do it all the time." She chuckled. "Cooking."

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The Anju's residence had a little garden in their backyard. Mikan and Natsume went there to gather some ingredients. She's holding a basket while Natsume holds a bucket. It's still quite muddy out there since it had rained.

"So, uh…what am I doing here?" she asked, answer actually obvious.

"We're gonna need some veg." He pouted his lip to the vegetables underground. "Start picking."

She did not move. "Like, out of the ground?"

Natsume rolled his eyes. "No. Out of your ass. Yes! Of course out of the ground!" He shook his head and started digging some potatoes out from the ground with a small shovel. Mikan gingerly bent down to reach for a carrot. She doesn't quite know how to approach it.

"I live in a crowded city. We don't all have the luxury of a private vegetable garden."

Natsume scoffed. "Yeah, my heart's bleeding for all that you're lacking. Well at least now I know what to get you for a wedding present. A dose of reality." Then he laughed.

Mikan just stared at him, expressionless.

"I know that this is all a big joke for you, but getting engaged is very meaningful for most people…" She grabbed on to a carrot stem and started pulling it. "Eyouhan and I have been a great team for the past four years and to finally be able to express our love with a lifelong commitment…well, it's no something I'd expect you to understand." The carrot won't budge so she pulled harder.

"And who says I've never been engaged?"

Mikan looked up, surprised. And the carrot popped out of the ground, sending her flat on her ass in the mud.

Natsume rolled his eyes.

"You have?" Mikan asked.

Natsume walked over and literally lifted her off the ground. She's astonished with this. "You're useless." He mumbled. Then he carried her over to a stump by the barn, and put her down like a package before she can even open her mouth. She handed her the bucket. "Can you handle washing them?" He's talking about the veggies.

Natsume then walked into the garden and began to pick more vegetables. Mikan started rinsing the carrots in the bucket.

"You shouldn't just...pick people up like that."

He just shrugged.

She could not just let go of his confession. After all these things she had said to him that he doesn't know anything about being head over heels, the feeling of love, having a girlfriend or a love life. She feels embarrassed accusing him such things. "So, when were you engaged?" Mikan tried to sound sincere, and she was. She wanted to say sorry for being insensitive on their first day.

Natsume did not answer.

She suddenly remembered the picture she saw back at his tavern, the one that fell off with the mints, the one he was with at the picture. "It was that blue haired girl in the picture, wasn't it?"

He ignored her question. But she knows she's right. After all. silence means yes.

"What happened?" she asked worriedly.

Natsume stopped whatever he's doing and stared afar. A needle-like pain struck his chest. It still hurts. He chose to be vague. "Nothing happened. Didn't work out."

And it's clear that's all he's going to say about it. Mikan did not ask for more. The least thing she could do for now is to respect him.

"Oh. That's too bad."

Now, Mikan diverted her attention to the carrots she picked earlier. She truly admired her clean carrot for a second as Natsume dumped some more vegetables in the bucket. The brunette took a little nibble on the carrot, chewing it slowly.

"Okay, I really picked a really good carrot." And then suddenly, a chicken came waddling up towards Natsume passed her. She pointed at it and yelled merrily, "A chicken!"

Natsume turned. The chicken scurried over toward Mikan as if it got scared at him. She talked to it in a funny voice.

"It's okay, fella. He's not so scary." Mikan said to the chicken, leveling it.

Natsume raised an eyebrow. The chicken seemed like it has a brain of a human and was attracted to Mikan, chirping at her. And so, the brunette became fascinated.

"Look how much she likes me!" She started making kissing sounds to the chicken. "Hello. Hello pretty chicken." She looked up to the expressionless man few inches away from her. "You think she's hungry?"

"Don't know, won't matter in a few minutes." And in one swift move, he grabbed the chicken by the neck and scooped it up. It squawked. He took an axe off to the coop wall. Mikan was too shocked about it.

"What are you doing, what are you doing?!"

"Killing the chicken." He looked at her like why didn't she got that. She's so innocent for her age.

"What?! Why? Why?"

Natsume stared at her for a moment. "For dinner. What's with you? Oh, are you a vegetarian?"

She's just too shocked. "Well, no." She's not. Her figure and her body may not look like it, but Mikan hates veggies. She's a meat lover. Back at Japan, in hotpots or grills, in every meal she have, there should always be meat.

Meanwhile, Natsume hinted she's pitying the little barn animal. She doesn't want it to get killed since earlier the chicken had already been attached to her. "Well? Where else are we gonna get chicken?"

Mikan looked away as she fiddled with her fingers. "At the market, at a KFC, someplace else?"

Natsume scoffed. "You're being silly. It all comes from the same place. Now hold the bucket so you can catch the blood.

The brunette gasped and ran back to the house. Natsume was dumbfounded and just shook his head.

So, in the end Natsume had killed the chicken by himself…

At the kitchen after a few minutes, both of them dumped the last of their ingredients on the farmhouse table. Carrots, dressed chicken, broccoli, celeries and many more. Even those condiments like salt, pepper, chili powder and others. Mikan had got them readied in case they needed them. On the other hand, Natsume felt weird about it.

"Okay. The first thing we should do is make a plan. Who's doing what, what needs to get started first…"

"Or we could just cook." Natsume cut her off.

Mikan put her arms on her waist and turned to him. "This isn't two old guys at your bar having snacks. We've got six people to feed a hotel quality dinner, we should organize." She scolded.

Being the usual Natsume he is, he just ignored her and took a large knife out of the block. He plunked a few onions down in front of her.

"You know how to dice?"

Mikan had a flat face. "Yes. I know how to dice."

Natsume set to work on the chicken. Mikan began to peel an onion, not finished with her matter.

"All right, fine. But you know what they say: If you fail to plan, you might as well plan to fail." She sermons.

Cutting the poultry, Natsume replied. "Well here's what I say: The quickest way to make God laugh is to start making plans." He brought a cleaver down hard on the chicken. "Better to just let things work out how they work out."

This knocked a sense at her. Somehow, it reminded her of someone.

"You know, you and my Dad would get along great."

"Would we now?" He then smirked.

Mikan frowned. "It's a not a compliment."

Natsume's smirk went gone. "That's a shocker."

She shot him a look and then started to chop her onion. "Do you know anything about Alpacas?"

"Can't say I do."

"And neither did my Dad but that didn't stopped him from buying one when I was fourteen. He read in a magazine you could make money selling the wool. Didn't matter that he had no idea how to care for it, or even how to sheer it or who the hell he was supposed to sell the wool to…he just had a good feeling about it. Well turns out Alpacas don't deal with Japan winters very well, and that they're not nearly as easy to housetrain as advertised." She told him while shuddering at the memory. She scraped the cut onions to one side as she talk.

She's just wanting to give him an idea about "letting things work out how they work out" without planning or something. Knowing Mikan, she's a systemic person, someone who could not move without it having planned the earlier day. Remember her Blackberry where she used to stuff all of her plans? It got fried though.

"And that carnations are actually poisonous to them…" She meant that carnations are poisonous to Alpacas. "..which made it very bittersweet Valentine's day that year. And it was the same story with the Amway and the countertop rotisseries and the mobile video store…" she began enumerating several same incidences. "…though at least none of those will spit goo all over your brand-new red cardigan, but he had no idea what to do once he maxed out his credit card and the crap belonged to us."

Mikan sighed.

"It always "gonna work out", he always "had a good feeling about it", until one day the I.R.S. shows up trying to take our house." That dreadful memory cannot be forgotten. "And that is no way to live." She totally disagrees about the familiar quote **go with the flow**.

Natsume just looked at her.

"Wait, so you're trying to say I can make money if I just buy an alpaca?"

Mikan looked not at all amused, here they go again. So before the thing like back at the castle will happen again, she better cut it now. "Forget it."

He laughed. He tossed some carrots in front of her. "Do some carrots."

Mikan looked at him pointedly, waiting. Natsume realizes….

"Please…" said the raven head, insincere.

Satisfied, she began chopping carrots. Natsume began slicing potatoes beside her. They are both silent, but their knives quickly fall into a rhythm.

Mikan and Natsume continued cooking together, seamlessly working with and around each other to complete the meal. Stirring pots, melting butter, beating eggs…In the small space, they are constantly reaching past each other, brushing by one another, never actually touching and not needing to speak, maneuvering around the kitchen in an unexpectedly graceful dance.

Until the table for dinner was finally set. Mikan and Natsume were satisfied with the food and the presentation, courtesy of Mikan of course.

So, Mikan, Natsume, Narumi, Hii, and Serina and Misaki - the Italian bike-riders at their fifties sat around the table digging into the bounty.

Hii is obviously pleased with their food. It was great. No, more than great. So to compliment them she said, "Well, as far as I'm concerned you two can stay here whenever you want."

"Delicious, just perfect." Misaki mumbled.

Mikan is thoroughly enjoying it. "I have to say, I've completely forgotten that this chicken and I had a serious relationship."

She scooped up a spoonful of food from her plate.

"Narumi, you planning on licking that plate clean?" Hii asked Narumi, who is obviously pleased with the food too.

"I might, you know."

Serina chuckled. "You make a good meal, you two. Very good. Especially the chicken."

"And I usually have a hard time with chicken. Eyouhan always complains that I make it too dry." She then turned to Serina, unaware that Natsume is now looking at her.

"Who's Eyouhan?" Serina inquired.

It made Mikan look at Natsume. Oops.

"Eyouhan. He's…our next door neighbor."

She let out a nervous chuckle. "Right, sometimes we let him come for dinner."

"He's extremely lonely." He nodded. "He's mentally challenged you know." He wanted to laugh.

This made Mikan shoot him a look. Enough.

"Poor thing." Hii muttered.

Natsume nodded. He really wanted to laugh. He knew Mikan would scold him about this sooner or later, but it's making him entertained so why not. "Tragic. Anyway, we always joke, 'only an idiot dries out a chicken'."

He looked at the inner pissed brunette pointedly. She patted his hand awkwardly. "Yep. Ha. Only an idiot." She forcedly said. Then she took a sip of wine to calm her.

Having finished dinner, the group has moved to the small sitting area in the living room. Narumi is playing an old tune on a fiddle in front of a fire. Serina and Misaki cuddle on a couch together, how swett, drinking more wine.

Mikan entered with Hii carrying a tray of cookies for everyone. She set the tray down, and turned to see Hii sit down in the last empty chair. She looked around.

Hii turned to the ignorant crimson eyed Irish. "Hey, mister! Make some room for your wife!"

Natsume is sitting in a large chair, well not exactly made for two. But he scooted over and patted the little empty silver of cushion for Mikan. For the sake of having a home to stay for a while, they need to pretend they're married.

Everybody's watching so she sat down, she's not willing to but she had no choice. She's half on the arm, but slowly sliding down into the chair, smooched up next to him. They don't really look at one another.

Serina uncorked another bottle of wine and refilled everyone's glass.

"Misaki bought me cases of this wine for our fifteenth anniversary. We had served it at our wedding. There is so much, I give some away, I travel with some." Serina said.

Mikan was amazed. "Fifteen years. Wow."

"We'll be thirty-three years together come September." Hii felt proud.

"Thirty-three. Wow, cheers." Natsume said as they all raise a glass.

They shared a few laughs as Serina told them stories on their wedding day. On how she wanted their marriage public, in front of many people, and if possible in front of whole Ireland and how Misaki wanted it to be private.

And they ended up having a normal wedding with just enough people in it.

They're happy. It's not every day you'll get married. Misaki made that day the most for Serina. And so, Mikan feels so jealous. She wishes that tomorrow, she'll gonna get engaged and she's going to be married to her boyfriend and she'll feel what other brides felt.

"That really is good, you must've had a really fun wedding." She said, drinking quite a bit of wine. She's been drinking frequent times now. And she's being a tiny bit slurry.

"See the thing that it is, is, it's just more romantic in Japan. Don't you think? That's why you stay married for so long. You're more romantic." It's not so clear.

"Who?" Serina is a bit confused. "This one?" She gestured dryly at Misaki. "Yes, he really is romantic." That's not serious. As she remembered her previous birthday.

"I brought you orchidea on your birthday." Misaki informed.

Serina is bitter. "Yeah. The day after my birthday."

Misaki quickly went on defense. "You say you don't want presents, always." Serina looked at Mikan. Who really means that, though? "Ahh, she's crazy. We drive each other crazy." He started speaking Italian. "C'e sempre un po' di follia nell'amore. Ma c'e sempre anche un po' di ragione nella follia. I think that's it, yes? There is always some madness in love, but there is also always some reason in madness."

They laugh. True. Serina leaned over and they kiss. Narumi put down his fiddle.

"That's why you stay married." The blonde Narumi giggled. "Right there. The kissing. Always kiss. My Dad said to me, on our wedding day, he said, 'Always kiss your wife like it's the first time and the last time. Every day.'" He poured himself some more wine.

Hii noticed this. "Naru, that's plenty."

"Careful or I'll do more than kiss you later."

They laughed again. He'd wanted to kiss her wife, but…

"I have kissed my wife today." Naru said to Misaki. "You have kissed your wife today." Then he turned to Natsume. "Have you kissed you wife today?"

It's their turn. Mikan and Natsume looked at one another.

"Oh yeah." She said.

"Definitely." He added.

Which is not true.

Then they both said in unison, "When we were just outside." "At breakfast."

They went silent until Mikan spoke and chuckled nervously. "T-There's been load of kissing. L-Loads."

Narumi swallowed some more wine and slammed his glass down. "Ah, go on and kiss her!"

If all of them are still normal, they would notice how Natsume looked lost. He actually doesn't know what to do. Naru nods his head, intense. Do it. They are staring at them. They are watching her. They are waiting for them.

So to save their breaths, Natsume rolled his eyes and leaned in and gave Mikan the world's quickest peck on the cheek. It didn't even lasted a second.

Both guys groaned aloud.

"What is that, that is your kiss?!" Narumi grunted dissatisfied.

"That was very nice, just enough." Mikan said.

Narumi whimpered. "If that's how you kiss her I'm surprised she's still sitting here!"

"W-Well you know we're both pretty shy so…" Mikan tries to excuse herself. I mean themselves.

"They are shy." Serina concluded.

"Don't be shy! You are with friends, con amici! Baciarla!" Misaki moans.

"Shy!" Naru scowled. "You're in love! Kiss her!"

And they push them to do it. They're being annoying. And Natsume can't take it anymore. He reached over and took Mikan's face in his hands and kissed her. She's shocked at first, but is quickly swept up in what may be the most intense kiss she's ever had.

She was blank and he was too…at first. But with the effect of the wine and for some other reason, they both deepen the kiss. It became passionate, and almost seemed true. Like they have feelings, overflowing feelings for one another that they can't take it anymore and let it flow with a kiss.

Mikan's hand went up to his face. She unconsciously touched the back of his neck, like she possessed him. On the other hand, Natsume doesn't know what he feels. It was blank, but also there was something. It was very different from what he had with Nobara before. He loved her very much. He kissed her many times. But this is confusing. Suddenly, he regrets doing this.

And that's when he noticed that Mikan is already heating up with the kiss and their tongue had touched each others that it felt very awkward, so he pulled himself out away immediately. A surprised and a disappointed brunette with eyes confused, seems like telling him she wanted more and what did just happen, registered in his eyes. And just now he wanted to do it again. With her.

No. This is wrong. She's just drunk. He's just drunk.

She is going to be engaged soon.

And he's helping her to get engaged no matter what. She's just her driver. He only wanted the money to save his inn. No. What? In confusion, Natsume turned his head the other way. Mikan just looked at him worriedly.

The other people cheered on the background.

**First of all I want to apologize for unusually updating late. I'm having troubles transferring my document to my cellphone where I usually upload the next chapter. The PC's just broken, well not completely broken but there is something wrong.**

**Chapter six was done since last last week and I couldn't update it. And another thing is, I just started writing the seventh chapter this evening which is very disappointing for me. I've been very busy. I hate myself. **** Huhu. I have to struggle for my studies extra. Sometimes my scores are low and sometimes high. **

**This relative of me who just passed the board exam gives me pressure! What if I fail?! Oh my God, I'm an embarrassment! A total humiliation! What am I ranting at? I'm still at third year. There's still more than a year.**

**And of course, this story. Just few more chapters and this is done! Is that good news or not? Hehe. Well, let's be positive.**

**Chapter six! This I think should be the happiest and my most favorite chapter and probably the best chapter for all! All happenings here are just happiness. What can you say about their first kiss? Please tell me! I'm excited to read reviews again.**

**Thank you very much to those additional followers and alertees! Love u all.**

**And to those who reviewed and keeps on reviewing! You're really groovy, people! Splendid. Just grand.**

**I'll look forward for more supporters. Author very appreciative and obliged here.**


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